No one can accuse Mayor Luke Bronin of showing or exercising much vision when it comes to the future of Hartford. He does deserve an A- plus for placing blame though and has proven pretty good at blaming everyone else for the failures of City Hall. Everyone else except himself though. Bronin may have to start taking responsibility soon though.
Almost two years ago, I had spoke to several City Council people and posted here regarding the renewal of the contract for Hartford Police Chief James Rovella .The renewal appeared to be in jeopardy for some time, but eventually the City came to it senses and offered a 2 year renewal to Rovella.
I had stressed to the people that I spoke with that that the contract should come with a stipulation that the City should promote from within or go outside to find a suitable Assistant Chief to work closely with Rovella and be ready to succeed Rovella for a clean and smooth transition when Rovella leaves.
Here is my posting regarding Rovella's contract and the need for a succesion plan from 2015. http://wethepeoplehartford.blogspot.com/2016/09/if-it-matters-i-support-chief-rovella.html
I know, more crazy talk from me. Decent management plans are not something known to the City of Hartford ,where chaos and incompetence abounds.
Needless to say, no successor was ever identified. No successor was mentored by Chief Rovella and no "heir apparent" is in place, even though Chief Rovella is leaving in a few short months.
Keeping HPD functioning under the current conditions is a miracle in itself and is a credit to the skills of Chief Rovella. In a City racked with financial issues and a police department that is almost 150 officers short and the remaining officers working without a current contract, it is amazing it works at all.
I am not sure Mayor Bronin comprehends the importance of his pick for Police Chief. I am already hearing that the next Chief has quite possibly been chosen by Bronin. If sources are accurate, it may very well be a high ranking Connecticut State Police Trooper. I hope , for once, my sources are wrong, because it would be a huge mistake for Bronin to make the selection without any transparency or even public input. Before Chief Rovella was appointed as the permanent Chief there were numerous public forums and interviews, some might say inquisitions held.
Adding to the problem is the fact that Chief Rovella has kept the Assistant Chief's spots unfilled for the last couple years for budget reasons. Long term that might prove to be a mistake.
The bench is pretty thin at HPD right now for anyone even close to Rovella's skills and knowledge. Two names are currently circulating as potential Assistant Chief 's in preparation. One, Deputy Chief William Long is probably the most qualified and capable, but as this is Hartford, most qualified and capable doesn't usually count for much. The second name being floated has more baggage than an arrivals carousel at Bradley Airport, so he will probably be the Bronin pick. You can read about some of that baggage here, and there is plenty more that I am sure will come out eventually. "Conduct unbecoming" charges are not good attributes for a potential key leadership role
The future of HPD is too important and valuable for Hartford and its residents to make poor, hasty or even political decisions regarding the next Chief.
We need a Chief similar to Chief Rovella, not a puppet of City Hall.
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18 comments:
Bring back Chief Roberts. He knew the officers names. He was fair unless you danced on a table. The issue with Roberts was all the complex chiefs at the time battling For their own bones. Fact is that ford had the thrown won years ago but one bad day happened. I think he should get a pass. Thody's issues are ten fold worse. Long runs this house. Fact. Rendock and the previously mentioned individual can board the uber bus to glastonbury. Oh. Or wethersfield maybe.
Agree with everything you say kevin, except one thing. 'The second name being floated has more baggage than an arrivals carousel at Bradley Airport'. I don't quite agree, Bradley is nearly vacant with one way flights out of CT keeping it in business. I think Thody's baggage is more like a baggage carousel at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta international airport, the busiest airport in the world.
There is absolutely no need for a public input, public forum or any public hearing when selecting a new police chief. These forums/hearings are nothing but a show off, pretending that the mayor and the politicians around are listening to the public.
Since when has the public became experts in selecting a chief?
Here is what the public want: a strong, competent chief who will cut the crime in our city. It's the mayor's responsibility to bring us this type of chief. If the mayor fails - then both the mayor and chief must go.
10:10 PM
Bring back Robert? Why would you want to bring to Hartford more crime? Weren't some crime records broken during the Roberts years?
Kevin -- your post from the prior story was the most accurate:
"I am not sure about September, but I am pretty confident that Luke is in way over his head, much more than he expected on the political launching pad that was supposed to jettison his political career to greatness, at least in his mind, instead it has done the total opposite and his political career is pretty much dead."
Chief Rovella's contract provides that he does not have to "voluntarily" leave until 18 months into his contract, i.e. February 2018. Bronin does not have cause to remove or fire him. If the "ink is dry and the uniform's have been ordered" as claimed by a poster on that prior story, then the City Council should waste no time in pronouncing Bronin's new chief pick as also dead/DOA. The City charter is clear on the Council's authority to interview and vote on any new chief. If the Council has already been ignored by Bronin, then 5 responsible members need to flex their executive oversight role and vote "NO" for such conduct. Bronin's got plenty of degrees but no political correctness or savvy.
Baggage? What about getting a young girl pregnant while he was in a position of trust over her as her softball coach? What about the "shots fired " incident at his home that cost a State Trooper his job when he tried to cover for him? The bar fight was only the icing on the cake for his career that should have been ended years ago
What the Hell???? Say it aint so he out R Kellying kids??
He should be disqualified for lack of judgement putting that ERT tat on his back... tactical trampstamp...
Foi his file for all to see. Do it.
Do it now !
How is it that the town allows him to fire rounds off at his own party ?
How is it that he did not get arrested for fighting downtown ?
How is it that he does not get in trouble and gets his rank back ?
His file must be thick like a morton's steak .
His file is not thick, it's actually clean as a whistle. He and a few other elitist "purged" their file. Sorry to disappoint you.
No Foley? He is already Chief in everything but name.
Hopefully we get a state trooper in here. Hartford needs military style policing that will let us take the gloves off.
Because he's white and one of the good ole boys, why else?
Blogger When are you going to stop? Address something positive.
3:46
Ok, here is something positive for you. I am positive you are an idiot with your constant ridiculous comments. 15 or 20 times a day is a little much. You think you would get tired of me ignoring your stupidity
Kevin, keep doing what you do. Ignore the idiot
To change the topic, but could you, Kevin, look into The Hartford Parking Authority. In their current guise, they are a private/public partnership. Meaning, they survive on the backs of parking ticket fines. We all want cars to obey parking rules but Eric Boone (or Greene?) has gone way too far shaking down (and it is a shakedown) of residents and others, for his job security. I believe Eddie Perez sold off the Authority and this was a mistake. Eric is using his authority to unleash an army of meter readers. If your tire is outside the lines, you get a fine. If your wheels are more than so many inches from curb, you get a fine. It goes on but the more important point is that Hartford needs to either assert more control through mayoral appointments to the Parking Authority Commission. Or it needs to take the Authority back.
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