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Monday, August 20, 2012

INTERESTING READING

 Here is a story from the New YorkTimes archives, if you have the time, take a few minutes to read it,  just click here

PANAGORE OUT

Hartford's Chief Operating Officer is out, He submitted his resignation today effective September 15, 2012.

On July 27, 2012 I had called for Panagore's removal in a posting stating "I can go on and on, but let me be the first to go on the record and say David Panagore needs to go and take his travelling circus show of incompetence with him."  . less than a month later, he resigns. Not bad. You can read that posting here


MAYOR SEGARRA ANNOUNCES DEPARTURE OF
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER DAVID PANAGORE
Former City Manager and Corporation Counsel Saundra Kee Borges to Assume Position of Interim COO
--- MEDIA ADVISORY---
(August 20, 2012) Mayor Pedro E. Segarra today announced that he has received and accepted the resignation of David Panagore, Chief Operating Officer and former Director of Development Services for the City of Hartford since 2008. Panagore indicated that he is leaving in order to pursue other professional opportunities.
“David played an important role upon my taking office in 2010. The immediate successes we celebrated, the demolition of the H.B. Davis Building and Capital West, stabilizing the budget and increasing the Rainy Day fund, are just a few of the hallmarks he helped me move forward. He is creative and knowledgeable and I have no doubt that he will have great success no matter what he chooses to do next,” said Mayor Pedro E. Segarra
“I am truly grateful to have served Hartford and Mayor Segarra,” said David Panagore. “The opportunities that I have helped to restructure and professionalize the operations, and the projects I have been able to work on, like Capewell, Colt, iQuilt, and the One City, One Plan have moved the City forward and they were all professionally rewarding. I will miss the staff, the City of Hartford and the many friends that I have made over the last 5 years. I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life.”
Panagore’s last day will be September 14, 2012. Mayor Segarra also announced that Corporation Counsel Saundra Kee Borges will serve as Interim Chief Operating Officer while a national search is performed to identify a permanent replacement. She will remain as Corporation Council but will temporarily assign her day-to-day administrative duties to Deputy Corporation Counsel L. John Van Norden. Segarra also announced that his Chief of Staff, Jared Kupiec, and his Special Advisor and Director of the Department of Families, Children, Youth and Recreation, Dr. Jose Colon-Rivas, will remain as members of the Mayor’s Cabinet and may assume additional internal duties as assigned by the Mayor.
###

Saturday, August 18, 2012

HARTFORD, WE HAVE A PROBLEM

Our new Police Chief James Rovella speaks often about the "moral compass" of our youth and the importance of keeping it adjusted from an early age. The You Tube video below isn't from New York City or Chicago or LA, it is from right here in Hartford, 222 South Marshall Street to be exact

If there is a moral compass on these youth , it is clearly spinning out of control like a gyroscope. Is this the best that they can do for activity, especially troubling , besides the females fighting is the young boy that appears to be about eight years old and the kicks he is taking to the head of the girl on the ground. Where are the adults and why is no one stepping up to stop this beating?

Also note the ankle bracelet on one of the kids, so he is obviously not a stranger to the Criminal Justice System at an early age

Thursday, August 16, 2012

I LIKE IT

After years of dressing up police cars in blue or red, adding fancy swishing graphics or nothing at all, more police departments are returning to tried-and-true: going back to the "retro" black and white look.

Word is that black and white police cruisers may start appearing on the streets of Hartford in the near future.

The primary reason for the black-and-white color scheme of police cars is their visibility. Studies have shown that the alternation of light and dark colors increase the visibility of the vehicle in both high and low lighting

.Another major reason for the color scheme is the pride associated with the identification of the two colors. Due to the common usage of the colors from almost all departments in the United States, it brings forth the commonality of a brotherhood in law enforcement.

In the 1990s, many police agencies switched their color schemes to solid white, blue or green colors. This was done as a way to save money, as budgets were getting tighter. Police emblems were embellished as a way to make the cars more distinct from civilian cars.In the mid-2000s, departments began shifting back to the black-and-white paint jobs. Surveys of both officers and civilians have shown that the black-and-white color scheme is more favorable, accessible and identifiable
In Mesa, Ariz., the police department's 287 marked Ford Crown Victoria cruisers — white with a blue decal on the doors — will be switched to black-and-whites over the next six years.

 "Studies have shown that cars with alternating light and dark colors are more visible in low light or high illumination," says department spokesman Chuck Trapani. He says many civilian cars are white in a hot-weather region. Having cruisers painted black on the hoods, trunks and fenders will make them more visible, both to other drivers and the department's helicopter

**Information from numerous internet sources

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

DEAL OR NO DEAL?

I vote no deal. On Monday night the Hartford City Council will hold a public hearing to discuss a retirement incentive package for a Hatford Police Assistant Chief , two Deputy Chief's and an Assistants Fire Chief.

The lucrative deals are usually created to clear out deadwood and provide an incentive to avoid costly litigation. In most of these cases the beneficiaries are given some sort of health care incentive as well as bridging time if they haven't completed their 20 years of service for their pensions.

In the case of the Hartford Assistant Chief, John Horvath if the incentive package were the only way to get him out the door without a lawsuit, fine, approve it. But Horvath has just accepted a position as Police Chief at UMASS , at Amherst and will be starting there September with a reported starting salary of $140,000

Should a City that can hardly afford it, now provide an incentive package for someone that will be leaving anyway. I say no. The Hartford City Council has handed these packages out like candy for years and it is time to review the procedure and end it.

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION

Many parts of Hartford's "crime puzzle" seem to have been put in place over the last 12 months. The implementation of the Shooting Task Force, the permanent appointment of Chief Rovella and even the "faith based" forum held recently by the Hartford City Council are all important pieces.

Hartford's violence, similar to many large cities, is not something we can "Police"our way out of. I think Chief Rovella and others would probably readily admit that the problem is far greater.

Last night I stopped by the crime scene of our latest homicide on Sterling Street. Some of the details are horrendous, especially related to the victim, as if his death wasn't bad enough. The yellow crime scene tape roped across the section of Sterling Street marked the area where the shooting occurred.

The area was still full of police vehicles and police officers on the scene. Shell casings were waiting to be picked up and tagged. Detectives were scanning the street with flashlights  looking for additional evidence and a clump of someones hair that had been torn out during an apparent altercation was eventually placed in an evidence bag.

The victim was actually gunned down and died in the street in front of his 4 year old daughter. The saddest part was that the girl watched her father die as an apparently innocent victim of Hartford's violence. He was not the intended victim, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. From what I was told by witnesses, the shooter opened fire on the crowded street, a street occupied by families and many children out on a warm summer night.

Chief Rovella often talks about the moral compass of these shooters who make the decision to settle arguments at the barrel of a gun. I am not sure this suspects moral compass is capable of being adjusted if she was so cold blooded that she would fire into a crowd and kill an innocent father..

The other sad observation was that our communities almost seem to be immune  to the violence. People would approach the crime scene tape carrying their groceries or other items and be escorted to their front doors by a police officer. Only one person that passed me while I was there actually asked me what happened, and even when I explained it. it almost seemed like they were used to it,

The issue of the moral compass is a huge factor to be addressed. I had a conversation earlier with Congressman Murphy as he was talking to voters at Rawson School. We began talking about Chief Rovella and his plans and I mentioned to Murphy my conversations with the Chief about his plans to buils the PAL program. Murphy to his credit was well aware of the success of the Waterbury PAL program which I wrote about here a couple weeks ago.

Murphy mentioned how less violent Waterbury was and he talked about the officer's in Waterbury and how they were involved with Waterbury youth at a much younger age , during the critical years when their "moral compasses" are still capable of being adjusted and influenced by positive role models.

State Representative Doug McCrory from the 7th District, myself and Chief Rovella met recently to discuss the needs of the PAL program and its future and building some solid partnership with other groups. Since much of this violence clearly impacts McCrory's district, he has a vested interest in being part of the solution. McCrory has a timeline he hopes to stick to for his bridge building and realizes time is of the essence.

Congressman Murphy, potentially Senator Murphy, can also play a role since the solution to expand the program will not be without costs. Costs that the Police Department budget may not easily absorb. But I guess the big question is what is the cost of each homicide. We know after last night there is a 4 year old girl who will now grow up without the influence of her father in her life. No father to provide for her and keep her "moral compass" adjusted as she grows.

I haven't written much about the "faith based forum" but that is another big part of the puzzle. The church community potentially has a large impact on our young people. The conversations have begun, some solutions have been put on the table, and now they need to be enacted. The schools also need to do their part.

It is not enough to warehouse kids every day focusing on increasing their test scores. There is far more that needs to be done, after school mentoring programs , cooperation with the PAL program and assisting in providing resources to get the job done, including facilities necessary to make it happen.

If people in Hartford are serious about protecting and developing our children, hopefully they will get on board before another 4 year old has to watch her father gunned down