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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

OOPS.....THAT DARN "WE THE PEOPLE BLOG"

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY HARTFORD COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY GAIL HARDY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:

Mark A. Dupuis

Communications Officer

State of Connecticut

Division of Criminal Justice

300 Corporate Place

Rocky Hill, CT 06067

860-258-5997

www.ct.gov/csao



Hartford State’s Attorney Issues Statement on Motor Vehicle Stop

On Friday, September 2, 2011, the Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office became aware of a motor vehicle stop conducted by the Hartford Police Department at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 1, 2011, on Barbour Street in Hartford. The vehicle, owned by the State of Connecticut, was being operated by Denise L. Nappier, Treasurer of the State of Connecticut.

Treasurer Nappier attempted to explain to the Hartford Police officer who made the stop that the vehicle was a state “fleet” vehicle that she as Treasurer was authorized to drive. Despite informing the officer of this information, Treasurer Nappier was issued a summons for operating an unregistered vehicle, having no insurance and misuse of registration plates. Treasurer Nappier was released at the scene and left to walk home when the vehicle was ordered towed by the police officer.

Upon review of the summons and accompanying police report and valid registration documents, State’s Attorney Gail P. Hardy determined there were no violations of any motor vehicle or criminal statutes and there was no basis for the issuance of the summons or towing of the vehicle.

Based on the findings of her review, State’s Attorney Hardy will request that the Court dismiss all of the counts in the summons. The vehicle was released to the Treasurer’s Office on Friday afternoon.

State’s Attorney Hardy met with Hartford Police Chief Darryl Roberts on Friday afternoon to advise him of her findings.

Monday, September 5, 2011

DARYL, CAN IT GET ANY WORSE?

I guess the answer to that is probably yes, as it seems that the long awaited Rudewicz Report may be submitted this week.

But putting the report aside for the moment, Chief Daryl K. Roberts must sit in his office some days and shake his head asking "WHY ME?". A lot of the controversy is his own doing, many of them caused by questionable decisions he has made as to those he surrounds himself with. The latest one though I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he had very little control over.

It would almost be a comical situation if it didn't have the potential to turn very bad very quick. It seems that, according to several HPD sources, Connecticut State Treasurer Denise Nappier was charged with Operating an Unregistered Motor Vehicle, Misuse of Plates, Operating Without Insurance and her vehicle was towed and her Connecticut License plates were seized last Thursday night by a Hartford Police Officer.

I don't have the actual copy of the incident report, I will hopefully have that tomorrow, so in the meantime I won't name the HPD Officer. The sources that spoke with me were not sure what the probable cause, if any, to stop Ms. Nappier was. They all thought it was bizarre the way the situation was handled and no supervisors stepped in to correct the incident before it went too far.

I originally thought Nappier was fair game if she was operating her personal vehicle without the proper plates. It seems that wasn't the case though. It was her state issued vehicle with the single digit "Connecticut Official" license plate. I think Nappier is either plate number "4" or "5". Right there, that should have immediately raised red flags for anyone paying attention.


The only thing worse would have been that she was towing plate "1", Governor Malloy, or "2" Lieutenant Governor Wyman. But nope, no red flags for anyone. Apparently, if the stop was called in, no supervisor heard it or questioned it. The wrecker was called to tow the state vehicle, the plates were seized and Ms. Nappier was sent on her way to walk home with her summons in hand.

Even more interesting though is the fact that the officer's sergeant signed off on her report and approved it, what HPD calls a "10-9". Still no red flags. I would think my first question after reading the report would have been "YOU DID WHAT?". And then immediately have set about implementing some serious damage control, first of which to make sure the State Treasurer had arrived safely home after she was left walking.

It seems that sometime Friday, Hartford County State's Attorney Gail Hardy with one of her Inspectors in tow, paid a visit to Chief Roberts at his office. From what I am told, it wasn't the most cordial visit between the two (they seldom are) and the Inspector was sent to retrieve the plate from the barrel they are tossed in before they are returned to DMV.

As of now, it seems as though the entire situation was more of a clerical error
caused by a new vehicle issued to Nappier and the paperwork hadn't caught up with DMV yet. It just makes you wonder if anyone is paying attention.

Why was the car even sent on the road if the proper paperwork wasn't in place, but also when does common sense kick in to figure out the situation?

Like I've said before Chief, it can't get much worse

MORE DARK CLOUDS ON THE HORIZON FOR HARTFORD

Many people were openly disgusted when the news came out about a woman who lived alone, along with her dog, was found dead in her home on Goodrich Street in Hartford. Debra Jurasus-Shriner by all reports had been deceased in her home, undiscovered, for at least two months. The reports painted a very grim picture of a decomposing corpse of both Debra Jurasus-Shriner and her dog, lying dead in the house. Mail was reported to be piling up as well as a strong odor coming from the house.

Fingers were quickly pointed at the Hartford Police Department and the way the calls from neighbors and others were handled. Mayor Segarra quickly called for a complete investigation into the matter.

Now the entire situation is about to take another bizarre twist that will, and should, be a black eye for our City.

Several police sources have confirmed for me that arrest warrants are expected to be issued by prosecutors and the Court for several neighbors of Debra Jurasus-Shriner. It seems that while Debra Jurasus-Shriner lay deceased and decomposing in her home, at least four of her neighbors were burglarizing her home and stealing her property. Apparently, according to sources, none of the thieves ever took the time to make an anonymous call to alert authorities of the dead body inside the home after they were done ripping her off.

At least one source questioned how anyone could even enter the home to steal anything. A source familiar with what now was a crime scene said that even veteran law enforcement officers were overwhelmed with the stench of the decomposing body as well as the flies and maggots in the home from the rotting flesh as they collected evidence inside the home.

I know this could happen anywhere, but what kind of a society are we when some one's neighbors can just step over her rotting body to take a television or other personal items they stole from her? Although he was highly criticized by politicians for his comments when he made them after the hit and run of Angel Arce-Torres on Park Street, Chief Daryl Roberts had it right. Roberts had stated at the time that as a City we had lost our "moral compass" and we had a "toxic relationship" with each other.

I would have stronger words for anyone that could treat a neighbor like that, but Chief Roberts evaluation would still apply today.

To learn a litle more about Debra Jurasus-Shriner, click here to read Helen Ubinas's column from August 4, 2011

ANOTHER VERSION OF THE BROKEN WINDOW THEORY ?



For those not familiar with the "Broken Window" theory, it was introduced in 1982 in an article by social scientists James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling. Essentially the study apparently showed that if you ignore the little things, the larger issues are allowed to occur without check. It was meant to apply to crime issues in an urban environment, but it would seem to apply to a much broader spectrum of behavior.

Can the same theory be equated to job performance and accountability? Very rarely are government employees held to a standard that might apply to their counterparts in the private sector. Part of that I think is based on the hiring of supervisors and department heads who in many cases, particularly in Hartford, are political cronies who receive their positions based upon political influence rather than any actual legitimate selection process.

The picture above is a perfect example. It happens to be in the rear lot of the Hartford Police Department, but I'm sure most of us have seen the same conditions of trash barrels along Franklin Avenue, Park Street or even many of Hartford's parks. And although the picture above was taken today, several people I asked said the overflowing trash is a regular condition. It apparently is not one that occurred because it was a holiday weekend.

I have to wonder how long someone working at Westfarms Mall or the Travelers Insurance would be employed if their boss pulled into a parking lot and saw something like this?

I know in the great scheme of things, this may seem like a minor issue, but that is what the broken window theory is all about. If no one is held accountable for something like this, they will have no problem escalating their incompetence to the next level knowing the consequences are non-existent.

Isn't it time that we insist that those we pay to actually supervise, start supervising? And this is not a police department issue, the picture just happens to have been taken in their lot.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

MAYOR SEGARRA: IT IS TIME TO SHOW SOME BACKBONE AND LEADERSHIP, END THE NOLAN LAWSUIT

Mayor Segarra, it is time the people of Hartford have a real leader and not just a ceremonial ribbon cutter. It is time we see some leadership more concerned about doing the right thing for Hartford rather than wondering how decisions will affect specific voting blocks across the City. It is time we have a leader more concerned about working to solve the City's problems than attending fundraisers.

A real leader with his pulse on the operations of the City should not need an outside report to realize the leadership of the Hartford Police Department is spiraling out of control. A leader who is able to read blog comments, as I know you do, should put a little bit of weight on the deluge of comments on a recent post regarding HPD. If even only 10% are accurate, you have a real problem Mr. Mayor.

If you had a Corporation Counsel reviewing potential litigation, you would put the brakes on the City's liability that your court actions are most likely compounding everyday.

In the Dan Nolan case you are perpetrating a fraud brought about by a corrupt Mayor headed to prison. The focus of your actions, former Deputy Chief Dan Nolan, a well respected firefighter who hails from a family of well respected firefighters and is also a respected veteran who is about to deploy to Afghanistan to once again serve his country.

A leader with a conscience wouldn't just admit in private that the Brooks and the Nolan matters are wrong,. A real leader would step up, especially a leader that claims he has fought injustice his entire adult life, and put an end to what is clearly wrong.

In the most recent brief submitted by the City in the Nolan case for a hearing this Wednesday, September 7, 2011 in Hartford Superior Court it becomes even clearer that this matter is wrong and malicious. In the brief it calls attention to Nolan's actions and states “However, I would be remise(sic) if I did not redirect the Courts attention back to the most egregious aspect of Mr. Nolan’s conduct and that is Mr. Nolan’s acceptance or encouragement of donations of varying types resulting in Mr. Nolan reducing disciplinary towers"

That is the most egregious behavior? Take into consideration that the decision to terminate Nolan was brought about, supposedly, by former Fire Chief Charles Teale. But even though Nolan was soliciting for charity, Teale admitted under oath that he took a payoff of several thousand dollars from an individual after he was disciplined by the City for improper behavior ,where he pocketed money for renting out City facilities and was forced to pay the city back the money he improperly pocketed.

Teale also testified that eventually he realized taking the payoff was wrong and he donated the money to charity. The timeline on that "realization" may have been a few years though and only after he realized questions had arisen about the payoff. Teale refused to answer any questions when I asked him about it. Sources familiar with the matter said he made a large donation to Camp Courant last year, several years after he took the payoff.

Nolan solicits for charity and is fired, yet Teale takes a payoff and that's acceptable? I'm not a jury consultant, but it seems like a no-brainer to me that should boost any settlement for Nolan if the City keeps moving forward.

Real leaders need to do what is right, and don't worry about the votes. If a leader is effective, I think the voters will recognize that and the support will be there. On the other hand, I would hope after the Perez years the voters will be smart enough to recognize more fraud and pandering for votes

Over the next week I will be posting excerpts from the transcripts of the Nolan Arbitration hearings and you can read the testimony in their own words as they testified under oath. You can read about Chief Teale's payoffs and forays to strip clubs in Springfield, although he claims he didn't have a personal relationship with Nolan.

You will be able to read about the City of Hartford's witnesses that they called that made better witness for the Nolan side. Firefighters that testified they were better firefighters because of Chief Nolan's actions. Testimony that they never felt they were endangered by Chief Nolan's training, in fact quite the opposite. They testified that Nolan's actions and taught them teamwork and the need to work together, something that it seems like any firefighter putting his or her life in another firefighters hands would appreciate.

You will also be able to read the testimony of former Assistant Chief Parker where he essentially concurs with Nolan's decision to remove several recruits from the Academy class because they were unable to cut the requirements and were dangerous to other firefighters.

All in all, the City's witnesses seemed to strengthen Nolan's defense.

Mr. Mayor, as an attorney yourself, I'm sure this makes even more sense to you than it does me, please cut our losses and end this lunacy now.

Friday, September 2, 2011

IS THERE ANY COMMON SENSE AT HARTFORD CITY HALL



Sometimes it is amazing that Hartford as a city is able to even survive. Another perfect example happened today, almost at my front door.

Around noon time a work crew showed up at Farmington and Sigourney Street and began blocking off traffic with traffic cones and a couple police officers. It seems that someone decided to begin the "milling" process to resurface the area around Farmington and Sigourney Street. That in and of itself wouldn't be bad, we complain about the condition of our streets so a little traffic upset is necessary to repair them.

A "little traffic upset" turned into grid-lock by about 2:45PM. HPD realized it was a problem and advised the contractor that they needed to be off the street by 3:00PM to comply with their City permit.

Traffic was already a mess by then, very little was moving and from what I am told HPD supervisors began demanding the contractor shut down and open up the intersection. Then the Hartford City Hall brain trust kicked in and decided they new better about the traffic flow than HPD. The contractor was allowed to stay on the street until after 5:00PM, the noise of the horns blowing from aggravated motorists was constant, and fire apparatus and school buses had a difficult time navigating through the area.

I just wonder who makes these decisions and why even bother giving out the permits if they mean nothing. And wouldn't it maybe make sense to mill a busy intersection like that after rush hour? By 7:00PM the street has very little traffic, most people have already fled the City by that time.

Either I'm looking at it wrong or I guess common sense isn't a strong suit in Hartford.