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Thursday, February 13, 2014
PENNY WISE POUND FOOLISH
I understand that Hartford has tough budget issues, many are self imposed by the current Administration. The latest one may be the results of DPW Budget cuts. For years there as an attendant at "City Yard" the name for the DPW Facility on Jennings Road. That is where DPW vehicles are garaged as well as City vehicles repaired and maintained.
For many years the attendant fueled the police vehicles and checked fluid levels such as oil and engine coolant. Police Vehicles were regularly scheduled for service and oil changes. Now the e-mail above details that there is apparently no money available for repair of certain police vehicles, including one who "blew" the engine for lack of oil.
Before you start screaming that is the cops fault who drove it, engines don't lose that much oil in a day or two, if these vehicles were checked regularly, it would have been noticed long before it went dry. In many cases ,officers are immediately dispatched to calls when they begin their shift and may not even have time to go to service for fuel.
The prisoner van was a vehicle that was purchased with a 6 cylinder engine , over the opposition of those knowledgeable of the manner of use of the vehicle. The van is immediately outfitted with metal caging with almost jail cell type accessories to be able to securely carry persons arrested and then transported to jail. Add to the 2000 or so pounds of additional equipment the weight of 5 or 6 male prisoners and the van is well over it's recommended weight usage.
These are the type of crazy decisions that are made by City Hall everyday by people that are strictly bureaucrats and know nothing about what they are doing.
In the meantime, maybe some of the snow tow money from today could be allocated to the "Cars that City Yard has no Money to Repair" Account.. Or maybe a few layoff notices to unnecessary staff members in the Mayor's Office could rectify the problem.
HARTFORD CITY COUNCIL PICKS NEW DEPUTY CHIEFS
Well, at least one of them. Three new Deputy Chiefs for HPD were picked today by Chief Rovella. According to sources, the Council approval and funding for the three slots were contingent upon strings placed on the approval by at least one Councilperson. Again, according to sources, the Councilperson provided HPD with three names that had to be promoted if the money was going to be approved without a fight..
Two of the names on the Councilpersons list though were ineligible for promotion based upon their current rank. Apparently to be promoted to Deputy Chief, you must be at least a lieutenant or higher. The one name on the list that was eligible to be promoted was actually promoted.
The announcement that was released today by Chief Rovella. He apparently stated that "after discussions with Assistant Chief Heavren" he was appointing Lieutenant's Brian Foley, Dustin Rendock and Rob Ford to the position of Deputy Chief.. Don't ask who Heavren is, it is a long story.
Foley will continue in the Detective Division as Deputy Chief of the Investigative Services Bureau (ISB). Foley also serves as the Department spokesperson and is expected to continue in that position. Ford will apparently assume responsibility for the North District. That area is currently supervised by Deputy Chief Neville Brooks. Brooks has recently been doing double duty supervising the Central and North Districts. Lt.Rendock will assume the Professional Standards Division which is currently working on accreditation standards for HPD.
All three promotions are expected to take effect as of Sunday.
Two of the names on the Councilpersons list though were ineligible for promotion based upon their current rank. Apparently to be promoted to Deputy Chief, you must be at least a lieutenant or higher. The one name on the list that was eligible to be promoted was actually promoted.
The announcement that was released today by Chief Rovella. He apparently stated that "after discussions with Assistant Chief Heavren" he was appointing Lieutenant's Brian Foley, Dustin Rendock and Rob Ford to the position of Deputy Chief.. Don't ask who Heavren is, it is a long story.
Foley will continue in the Detective Division as Deputy Chief of the Investigative Services Bureau (ISB). Foley also serves as the Department spokesperson and is expected to continue in that position. Ford will apparently assume responsibility for the North District. That area is currently supervised by Deputy Chief Neville Brooks. Brooks has recently been doing double duty supervising the Central and North Districts. Lt.Rendock will assume the Professional Standards Division which is currently working on accreditation standards for HPD.
All three promotions are expected to take effect as of Sunday.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
IGNORANCE IS BLISS...EXCEPT DURING A SNOW PARKING BAN
Can anyone in the City of Hartford say they are not aware that as soon as any snow accumulation is predicted, Mayor Segarra calls for a Parking Ban on City Streets? Tonight the ban is beginning probably 12 hours before the first flakes will begin piling up.
Better safe than sorry. Segarra doesn't want to risk any City hall employees or their boyfriend's, partner's, significant others crashing anymore City Vehicles in snowy weather. Even though the Council issued their decree on use of City Vehicles, I am not sure that is being followed.
But anyway, I think we jumped the gun on the timing of this parking ban, but if it makes the Mayor feel as though he has some power, so be it. And this gives his Director of Misinformation something to do, she sure isn't replying to e-mails requesting information from the Mayor's Office.
The Director of Misinformation may want to google flag etiquette though. Yesterday she sent out a press release that Segarra had ordered all flags flown at half staff. The Mayor has no authority to do that, only the President, the Governor of any State and the Mayor of Washington DC can order flags flown at half staff. But when do the rules matter in Hartford.
Back to my topic, people really need to pay attention to the parking bans. The almost $200.00 cost to retrieve your vehicle is crazy. If street parkers haven't realized yet, HPD is taking the parking bans seriously and sending a message. Clear the streets of your vehicles or pay the cost.
There is no excuse... the message is out and last snowstorm, almost 1,000 parking tickets were issued by HPD. That is almost $100,000 in revenue for the City, if collected. That is a big if ,since many of the vehicles are unregistered , misused plates or in some cases stolen and dumped on the street.(NOTE TO COUNCIL- It might make sense to put some of that ticket revenue back into the PD Budget, since the entire cost for writing those tickets is borne through the HPD Budget. How many months could the Mounted Unit be supported by $50,000 in ticket revenue and tomorrow should be another ticket frenzy that could add another $50,000 . Just a thought)
Bottom line is to pay attention to the ban or pay the price. In the meantime, don't bother patronizing any Hartford businesses with on street parking tonight because chances are good your car won't be there when you come out, and if it is it will probably have a $100.00 ticket on it
Better safe than sorry. Segarra doesn't want to risk any City hall employees or their boyfriend's, partner's, significant others crashing anymore City Vehicles in snowy weather. Even though the Council issued their decree on use of City Vehicles, I am not sure that is being followed.
But anyway, I think we jumped the gun on the timing of this parking ban, but if it makes the Mayor feel as though he has some power, so be it. And this gives his Director of Misinformation something to do, she sure isn't replying to e-mails requesting information from the Mayor's Office.
The Director of Misinformation may want to google flag etiquette though. Yesterday she sent out a press release that Segarra had ordered all flags flown at half staff. The Mayor has no authority to do that, only the President, the Governor of any State and the Mayor of Washington DC can order flags flown at half staff. But when do the rules matter in Hartford.
Back to my topic, people really need to pay attention to the parking bans. The almost $200.00 cost to retrieve your vehicle is crazy. If street parkers haven't realized yet, HPD is taking the parking bans seriously and sending a message. Clear the streets of your vehicles or pay the cost.
There is no excuse... the message is out and last snowstorm, almost 1,000 parking tickets were issued by HPD. That is almost $100,000 in revenue for the City, if collected. That is a big if ,since many of the vehicles are unregistered , misused plates or in some cases stolen and dumped on the street.(NOTE TO COUNCIL- It might make sense to put some of that ticket revenue back into the PD Budget, since the entire cost for writing those tickets is borne through the HPD Budget. How many months could the Mounted Unit be supported by $50,000 in ticket revenue and tomorrow should be another ticket frenzy that could add another $50,000 . Just a thought)
Bottom line is to pay attention to the ban or pay the price. In the meantime, don't bother patronizing any Hartford businesses with on street parking tonight because chances are good your car won't be there when you come out, and if it is it will probably have a $100.00 ticket on it
HERE IS THE PROBLEM
There is a very simple concept in snow plowing known as "curb to curb". It is not complicated, when plowing , you plow to the edger of the street until you feel the plow blade hitting against the curb.
Would you pay someone to plow your driveway if they only cleared the center. Probably not.
Hartford needs to start plowing "curb to curb". It does no good for the Hartford Police to enforce parking bans and clear the streets of vehicles if the streets aren't then plowed to the edge. The picture like the one above shows the newly created traffic barrier created by snow plowing.
The edge of Main Street is now almost 8 feet from the curb, essentially eliminating a traffic lane. And it is not just Main Street. Take a look at Asylum, Farmington, Franklin Ave, Washington Street, just about every major thoroughfare as well as side streets are now choked down to single lanes with almost concrete like piles of snow. This also creates a huge problem for emergency vehicles trying to get down these single lane roadways during rush hour ,when there is no place for drivers to move out of the way
We need to start getting it right from the first storm out, now it is too late to remove much of this snow once it freezes. Some drivers do get it though, Zion street looked almost perfect after the last storm. Maybe that driver could conduct some plow training for his fellow plow drivers.
On the positive side, at least the fire hydrant was cleared out
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
HE SHOULD HAVE HAD HIS COFFEE IN WINDSOR
NDC Connecticut is reporting the following:
The Bridgeport police officer who accidentally shot himself in the foot in a crowded bagel shop in December has been charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm.
According to police, on the morning of Dec. 17, Officer Juan Santiago was sitting at a table at Bagel King with three other Bridgeport Police Officers when he “mishandled” another officer’s pistol and shot himself in the left thigh.
Santiago was taken to St. Vincent’s Medical Center for treatment. His injuries were minor.
He turned himself in to Connecticut State Police and was arrested Feb. 10 following a joint investigation conducted by state police and the State’s Attorney’s Office.
Protestors rallied outside Bridgeport police headquarters on Dec. 23 to ask police to file charges against Santiago. The investigation began that day.
Santiago remains on administrative status with the Bridgeport Police Department.
“First, I would like to say we are grateful that the officer is recovering from his injury,” said Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett, Jr., in a statement. “We have said from the outset that we requested the State Police handle the investigation so the public would have confidence that it would be fair and unbiased.
The State Police conducted a thorough investigation, consulted with the State’s Attorney’s Office and made a determination that we will respect.”
Santiago was released on a promise to appear and is due in court Feb. 18.
This paralells closely the case of Hartford Police Sergeant Eric Smith who fired a round through his neighbors house with the round landing in the bed of his next door neighbor's young daughter.
Why is it illegal in Bridgeport and not in Windsor? I guess it all depends who you know.
Here is the link to the Eric Smith Windsor story
Monday, February 10, 2014
A VERY LONG WEEK
Sgt Bremser, left and members of the HPD Traffic Division showing their respect as the funeral procession enters Spring Grove Cemetary on Main Street.
I find it hard to understand how a four year old can be taken in such a violent and tragic way. But after seeing the outpouring of concern and caring for Chantay Drake, it does become a little clearer that the opportunity for positive can come out of this tragic death.
I have written about some of this already, but parts of it just seem to need repeating so that everyone understands that Hartford does have compassion and cares for each other. This was all very evident after several recent events. Shortly after Chantay's death, the Milner School on Vine Street showed an outpouring of their love for Chantay, who along with her sister Kayla were both students at Milner. Over a hundred people gathered outside Milner for a vigil in subfreezing temperatures to start the mourning process.
Speeches and prayers helped to start the healing process for those who attended. The following Saturday, Rev. Henry Brown held a street vigil in front of the scene of the fire on Bedford Street. It was a somber scene, looking at all of the fire debris surrounding the building after it had been shoveled out of the windows by fire inspectors.
It was also extremely eerie to look at the barred windows and not being able to comprehend the terror that those inside must have felt as the fire grew inside before taking their lives and causing the injuries that eventually took Suzanne's life. The feeling of helplessness by firefighters arriving on the scene , seeing a fire victim trapped behind the bars must also take a toll.
The funeral for Chantay was a fitting tribute to one of Heaven's newest angels. It took some work, but Chantay was eventually brought back to Hartford, courtesy of the Ahern Funeral Home, and on Saturday she was laid to rest in a very heartwarming and respectful ceremony. I was at the Funeral Home early Saturday morning at the start of another cold and icy morning.
A flower arrangement from Chantay's classmates at Milner School
On Saturday morning, Bremser and his officers arrived at about 8:15am, two black Tahoe's and two Police Harley Davidson motorcycles. No easy task for motor officers in 14 degree weather, but none the less, they did it. After carrying the small white casket and placing it in the polished black hearse, surrounded by flowers and teddy bears, the procession was off and headed toward the Liberty Christian Center on Vine Street.
I don't there is anything stronger than the statement made by a funeral procession with a couple of roaring police Harley's in the lead. If you have never seen HPD handle a funeral procession, it is like a carefully orchestrated ballet act. With the Harley's in the lead and a black Tahoe taking up the rear, other vehicles leapfrog along the route clearing intersections on the route for the procession to pass through.
After arriving at the Liberty Christian Center, pallbearers carried the small casket inside for Chantay's calling hours. I had never met Chantay but I had seen pictures of her and her big smile with her front teeth missing as she lost her baby teeth . I was not expecting an open casket and was surprised when the flowers were brought in and the casket was opened for viewing. I mentioned before that Chantay was Heaven's newest angel.
I couldn't help thinking that as I saw her in a beautiful baby blue party dress with sequins on it and her silver colored slippers and white knee high socks. I have never been to a wake or funeral for a child, and I'll admit this was not easy. She looked so peaceful, but I kept thinking "How could God do this?". She was so innocent, so peaceful.
As I sat there watching members of the community file in and pay their respects, I couldn't help but think that there was already good coming out of Chantay's terrible death.People such as Sergeant Bremser and Frank Ahern were already showing everyone that Hartford is a good City with good people. Her school community at Milner was probably already strengthened and forming tighter bonds to the community. There might even be some more long term effects , such as hopefully legislation for bars on windows to have to be able to open from the inside during a fire to allow escape from an inferno.
It is probably not a wise choice to question God's will, but if nothing else, the last week and the outpouring of love from the community helped make it a little clearer, at least for me.
Thank you to everyone who helped with that A sincere thank you again to Frank Ahern and the Ahern Family, Sgt. Bremser of HPD, Andrea Comer, Marta Bentham , State Representative Doug McCrory, Council President Shawn Wooden and his colleagues at Day Pitney and I know I am probably leaving someone out and I apologize in advance.
Chantay's death is not in vain, she has helped to strengthen our community through her tragic death. May she now rest in peace in Heaven in the arms of her mother
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