A mentor of mine has always tried to pound into my head that I owe it to the people I write about to contact them first before I post a story about them. I did that this afternoon, with some interesting results.
I read this mornings newspaper with an interesting story about Hartford's Deputy Police Chief Brian Foley and his apparent comments that "we don't need more cops in Hartford". I think I read that like most people asking ' You know we aren't talking about Hartford Vermont. Are you aware of what has gone on in Hartford, Connecticut the last few weeks?" I drove around all day stewing about how anyone in their right mind could make such a comment and what I was going to write as my next blog post
Would the heading be " HPD DEPUTY CHIEF LOSES HIS MIND?" To make the situation worse , a couple of HPD Officers I encountered during the day all asked me "What's up with your buddy Foley and the Courant article?"
Yes , it is no big secret Brian Foley is a friend of mine, it has been mentioned numerous times here in the comments. I knew I was headed to a showdown when I put my thoughts on the blog, so late this afternoon I called Brian with the "heads up" that he probably wasn't going to like my blog posting tonight. The immediate response was "You're not going to beat me up also are you" I guess it was a bad day for Brian
I offered to make our conversation off the record, but I had questions about his comments. He said no, let's talk on the record and clarify any questions I had. I know that sounds odd for friends going on and off the re3cord, but I like to be upfront about that . Former Chief Daryl Roberts and I always had an understanding like that. I knew what it meant if he talked to me as Daryl to Kevin and what it meant when he talked to me as Chief Roberts to Kevin. Luckily a few times I asked that before the conversation got rolling , just to be sure.
The first point Brian made was to the headline attributed to him. Foley "Could we use more cops , absolutely" Foley also clarified that "We need more long term solutions, We do need to hire more cops" " Flooding the streets with cops is not a long term solution" Foley seemed to make, or try to make the point in the article that we will soon be hearing the call from the community urging the State Police to come in to solve the crime problems. Chief Foley walked very gingerly on that thin ice. Both Brian's father and his sister are or were Connecticut State Troopers so he wanted to avoid anything that looked like a slam to the State Police.
But I don't need to defend Brian on this one, we are in total agreement here. For some reason CSP has always been seen as the savior riding in on the white horse to solve Hartford's problems. It is a feel good thing and not a solution at all. For the State Police to come into Hartford, for some screwy reason , the Hartford Police Union has a clause in the contract that any Trooper coming into Hartford needs to be paired up with a Hartford Officer on overtime,. If the Governor is even asked to send in Troopers, I would hope that he says NO. Give the dollars that would be spent on Troopers directly to Hartford in the form of a grant to only be used for a summer initiative to put HPD Officers on the streets.
Another solution to involve the State Police as a resource is also simple By CT Statute, the State Police can patrol or go anywhere in the State of Connecticut outside of their regular areas as long as they don't establish regular patrols. If the state Police should come into Hartford, let them do what we already know they are good with. Set up a traffic check point on a Friday or Saturday and do traffic inspections. Hartford is a small city and most things move by car.
At a traffic checkpoint I would almost guarantee that it would serve several purposes. It would calm Hartford's reckless driving mentality and force some adherence to Motor vehicle law and most likely it would find guns and drugs being transported around the City and many outstanding warrants.
The HPD Union may not like the idea, but we are talking lives here
If State money doesn't come with those strings attached, Segarra and company will find a way to suck it into the General Fund to plug another budget hole.
Chief Foley also seemed to make the comment that by putting more officers into poor and minority areas it disrupted those area with additional, or maybe excessive police action and arrest to disrupt the neighborhood. Although again Foley said that flooding an area with cops is not a long term solution. I asked Brian if he would agree that the execution of a 17 year old , shot through the head at the curb disrupts a neighborhood more than any Police presence ever could. He replied :"I would absolutely agree with you". (He was using absolutely quite a bit today).
I was glad that I took the advice of my mentor and contacted Brian. I was prepared for a much different conversation initially, but in the end I was much happier with the outcome and felt much more comfortable with Brian's comments.
Just remember , there are always two sides to every story.
-
4 comments:
Backtracking. Plain and simple. Typical command staff nonsense. HPD is such a joke right now. Morale is in the gutter and has never been lower. Patrol officers have to deal with life and death incidents on a daily basis and then we have foley sticking his foot in his mouth. We have Rovella who sits in his office and is cut off from the rest of the department. Ask anyone the last time Rovella went to a roll call. Never. Not once since he became a chief. One and only roll call he attended was at 50 J when he was an inspector still. Ask any patrolman the last time command staff ( besides 902) actually spoke with a patrol officer. When was the last time command staff asked if patrol needed anything, had and ideas to fix the plaguing problems etc. Never not once. Yet on a day to day basis were thrown into the gutter and then told we dont need any more street cops. Patrol is the backbone of the department. And yet command staff could care less if we have staffing shortages or if more street cops could prevent any more homicides. Ask any patrol officer how motivated they have been in the last year. This place with the help of command staff make a great, fun job into a dreadful one. Case in point with puppet foley. He clearly said what he meant. "while it may create the feeling of safety, inevitably saturates our poorest, most challenged neighborhoods with police officers, which inevitably highlights them for more arrests, incarcerations and a negative law enforcement impact." Yup. Evey patrol officer starts their shift by saying ya know what im gonna go out there and arrest the most poor minority i can find today. This is a prime example of the lunacy that runs HPD. More street cops will help if anything. It cannot hurt. Ask the people who are waiting 5 hours at a motor vehicle accident. Ask them if they want more street cops for a quicker response. Ask them if they feel at ease when they see a marked cruiser driving up and down their block. Whatever makes sense to do, this department is not apart of.
BTW since HPD is one incident away from a Baltimore in the north end ask Foley if we have the protective equipment that is needed to keep officers and the city safe.
Finally Chief Foley has put his own foot in his mouth an said it publically. Now the whole community an city sees just how dumb an out of touch he is with the city of Hartford. He should have never been promoted he's a bigot who played games an bullied people his entire career . It will be a glorious day when that POS is sitting in a federal court explaining his actions. Hopefully we will get a new mayor an city council that isn't bout an paid for that cares about the community! That new baseball field that's being built tell me why there isn't a single minority black or Hispanic worker on that construction site. I guess either they didn't want to hire any or there were none qualify either way it's only a matter of time before we have another ferguson or Baltimore on our hands an let's see who gets the blame! PS any idea where all those bullets disappeared too??!!! ��������✌��️
Kevin, to be honest every real cop in this dept knows the only reason foley got made deputy dog was because of you. Im not faulting the selection, it was slim pickens and at the time thody was not high on the popularity list. Now you see how he operates. He has always been out for himself. And it actually is sad because his state trooper sister is one of the most humble and sweet persons i have ever met. The apple does truely fall far from the tree i guess.
Winston brooks did a lot better in that postion. He looked believable and was very good with his words. Foley looks the part of an obtuse walmart greeter. Brian. Try and look at the camera instead of bobbing your head like commander data from star trek. Oh. And that lawsuit your named in for the whole drone incident will be coming around quicker then you think. Better put the house in someone elses name. I bet you dont post this kevin, but this is fact and truth.
Why would I not post that, that is awesome that you give me credit for making Deputy Chiefs, you know what that will do for my image and power? I can makeeth and I can taketh away. Keep thinking that though
Post a Comment