Is there enough going on inside the Hartford Police Department to warrant a visit from the Justice Department investigators?
A couple weeks ago I would have probably said no, but now my blinders are off and I think I would have to answer with an emphatic YES. I think many people, including Chief Roberts, underestimated the fallout from the transfer of Lt. Neville Brooks as the IAD commander.
For the past week I have been receiving phone calls from individuals familiar with incidents that are very disturbing. Allegations of improprieties of everything from missing cash during search warrants, to an alleged drug dealer repeatedly being charged with crimes because the detective making the arrests had a sexual relationship with the drug dealers girlfriend. By arresting the dealer, it freed up the girlfriend to spend uninterrupted time with the detective.
There are many more allegations of a serious nature, but I think you get the point that something is not right here.
Aside from the issues with the HPD Chiefs feeling that they are above scrutiny, it erodes the public's confidence in the process. According to a CHRO complaint filed by LT. Brooks with the State of Connecticut, he claims that Chief Roberts had instructed him that the Chief's had an "exalted status so that the usual protocols did not apply". Are you kidding me? If anything the rules should apply to the Command staff even more, I think it is called "leadership by example".
It is also interesting to me that Chief Roberts would take the time to attend roll calls all weekend long attempting to discredit the blog and call the entries "lies" and "one sided". The information coming out will most likely prove the opposite.
This is the time that Mayor Segarra, who constantly speaks of "transparency", needs to step up and demand a complete and full examination of HPD.
Anyone wishing to document additional information, please feel free to contact me.
The previous post should show that common sense is not overflowing in the Corporation Counsel's Office. The appeal filed by the City of Hartford in another matter involving a Hartford firefighter should back that lack of common sense up 100%.
The matter involved bumper stickers on the vehicle of one firefighter, who is Caucasian. Another firefighter, who is African American, objected to the bumper stickers because they depicted President Obama in a negative fashion.
The bottom line, that is what we call political free speech. Because the President is African American, criticizing him is not a racist incident. I can recall numerous bumper stickers portraying George W. Bush in a very negative fashion, but I never heard anyone call them racist.
Eventually this grievance ended up before the Labor Board. The only correction ordered by the Board was that the firefighter whose parking privileges inside the firehouse were revoked should once again be allowed to park inside the firehouse. No damages, no money, nothing monetary.
Yet now the City of Hartford in its infinite wisdom and free for all spending of the taxpayers money, has decided to appeal that decision.
WHY? Is there anyone steering this ship? Obviously not.
And not surprisingly, the wording of the appeal appears to be very similar to the Nolan appeal. Has someone learned how to use "cut and paste" in the Corporation Counsels Office?
If you read the hearing officers report on the Dan Nolan hearings, it seems pretty clear that he found no wrong doing on the part of Deputy Chief Dan Nolan. In fact, many of the witnesses called on behalf of the city, actually seemed as though they were better witnesses for Nolan.
Yet now the City of Hartford is moving to drag the matter out even longer. Sometimes you have to wonder if the Corporation Counsel's attorneys would gamble with their own money the way they do with the taxpayers funds. In a cash strapped City like Hartford, we can hardly afford another huge settlement that comes out of the pockets of the taxpayers.
If you read the blog regularly, you'll remember that a while back I asked the question "Who is Willie Edwards?.
Well, you have waited long enough and here is your answer.
Willie Edwards is a City of Hartford employee assigned to the Department of Public Works.On Saturday October 14, 2010, Willie was assigned to the DPW Transfer Station to supervise people dumping refuse and brush. AlthoughWillie appeared to be doing his job, he ran into a problem when he would not allow Charlie Ortiz to dump at the transfer station. Charlie Ortiz is the husband of Mayor Pedro Segarra. In the document below the "Description of Claim" clearly spells out the allegations that will result in yet another lawsuit against the City of Hartford
In the claim you will see that there is mention of an "investigation", I have asked DPW Director Kevin Burnham for that report, both by e-mail and in person. That report has not been provided to me as of yet."Willie Edwards Intent to File Suit
Since posting the Lt. Brooks information yesterday, over 2,302 hits were recorded on the blog for a 24 hour period, the best numbers yet since I started the blog.
THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS BLOG ARE STRICTLY THAT, MY OPINIONS.After getting fed up with the lack of openness in Hartford City Hall, I decided to begin a program on Hartford Public Access Television called "WE THE PEOPLE". Through tips received we have been able to expose numerous issues that the Perez Administration would prefer to keep quiet.
Any information received is kept in strict confidence, feel free to e-mail me at krbrookman@earthlink.net or call me at 860-883-2297 with any information.