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Monday, December 28, 2015

MY CRYSTAL BALL IS OUT OF ORDER

My crystal ball doesn't seem to be working right. The majority of the calls I have received recently have been in regards to the future of City Hall with people asking me "What is Luke going to do?". The answer is, I don't know.

I have high hopes for the future of Hartford, starting right away on January 1st.. My immediate response would be that the bar hasn't been set too high  by the Segarra Administration. With that being said, there is so much work to be done, it is going to take a concerted team effort by the best that Mayor Bronin can find to begin immediate progress.

Department head choices will be very important to bring both continuity and accountability to City Government. I think the biggest flaw by Segarra, besides his lack of leadership, was his inability to make proper choices  and select competent department heads  for all city agencies.

Too many departments were in constant flux or void of any direction by poor choices. Several key departments had "acting" department heads for most of Segarra's term. DPW and Finance are two of those Departments. Most people, including City employees want leadership and direction, and with that comes accountability. "Acting" positions don't bring that to the operation.

The finance department, with some solid leadership would have avoided many of the pitfalls that proved embarrassing to Segarra. P-Cards and insurance payments are two instances that come to mind. If the City credit cards were being properly monitored and audited, rather than receipts being kept in a shoebox on a shelf, someone might have noticed caviar and rack of lamb charges before it became a huge mess.

If proper procedures were being followed, no checks would have been cut for the O'Garro insurance payments. If the warrant for payment had not been attached to the request for payment, no check could have been cut. The policy was in place, just no accountability to following it. We need a finance director who is more concerned about Hartford's actual finances rather than how many Girl Scout cookies are sold out of the office.

Department of Public Works- Where to begin here? Proper management and accountability is key here. I think it may have gotten a little better under its "acting" Director, but it needs steady, strong management. This is one of the high profile departments that tell our neighbors whether Hartford is being run properly or not. Are the streets being plowed? Are potholes being repaired? Are our parks in decent condition?

It is a tough Department to manage. It is difficult to motivate employees if they feel they aren't being respected. Workers comp claims and injuries are high, much of that because of the nature of the work. In a cash strapped City, we need a Director who has an eye toward automation on some of the labor intensive processes such as trash pickup . The "one arm bandit " type trash pickups would eliminate the human factor in  much of the trash operation  as well as the back injury type claims. It wouldn't require any lay-offs, but may free up workers for other duties and attrition would solve some of the issues.

An "adopt -a spot-program", similar to those used in many other City's and towns would also help keep our parks and public spaces presentable. I have tried several times to present such a program, even provided Council members with an outline and all of the release forms used in Waterbury, but it has never gotten off the ground here.

The next DPW Director also needs to make Hartford's Flood Control a serious priority. It has been ignored for far too long, to the point some question its stability as to where there are questions if it will actually hold up, or can we make downtown a marina after the next disastrous flood.

MHIS- Aside from the updated name change, no real changes needed here. With the exception of the 311 system. Either get it fixed or scrap it and allocate the savings somewhere else where it is needed. I haven't been hearing the complaints regarding 311 that I used to get regularly, so maybe the move out of the Dispatch Center control to MHIS is working.

Hartford Fire Department- Where do I begin on this one? HFD needs something it hasn't seen in years... solid leadership, strong management and much better decision making. Assuming that there is a change in management (I don't see how there can not be ) the next Chief needs to be a top notch manager.

I don't think we need a Fire Chief that knows how to hook up to a fire hydrant. We need a fire Chief that understands labor law and proper decision making to start avoiding many of the law suits and labor claims that have been the hallmark of HFD for several years now. We need the type of decision making  and leadership that you often see in the Corporate world where poor decisions are hardly ever rewarded , but do result in unemployment slips.

Poor decision making on many labor issues have been overturned by the Labor Board and Courts to the tune of hundreds of thousand dollars in back benefits and legal costs, and that number promises to escalate as more of these poor decisions move through the legal pipeline.

HFD alo needs to establish a " community policing " type plan for the Fire department. Firefighters need to get out of the firehouses more and start interacting with the Community. Whether that is sometype of fire safety inspections or even attending more community meetings and events. We have seen the number of fatal and serious fires increasing.

If there isn't enough budget money to make the state mandated annual inspections, "walk thoughs" of a building by firefighters can locate and identify serious deficiencies fur further inspection by the Fire Marshall's Office.I routinely am in buildings with serious issues, locked or blocked emergency exits are just a couple things that even I can identify, a firefighter walking though surely could.

Remember after the Station Nightclub fire in Providence several years ago, the City routinely showed up at bars and places of assembly checking for occupancy and safety issues,. When was the last time you saw or heard of that happening in Hartford ?


I think the next leader for HFD needs to understand that the Firefighters Union has a role in protecting its employees, but Union leadership is not charged with management or day to day operations.

HPD- It has been a bad year for high profile crime in Hartford, homicides and shootings to be specific. This is one of those cases where doing more with less just doesn't work. City hall, specifically the Council needs to step up and do their part. As of today HPD is apparently at 389 officers, far short of the 482  officers most say they should be at. (A few years ago, Hartford took Federal money "COPS Grants" and agreed to maintain staffing level of 465 officers. we are no where near that now)

Trips to the White House do nothing, unless you are returning with checks to hire cops. Chief Rovella and his forward , creative thinking deserves to continue.  He needs the support of the Council, not just support or lip service at budget time or election time. Rovella has had a strong impact on the safety of Hartford by creative programs like the Shooting Task Force , and his support of Project Longevity and Prosper. The latter two being programs that will continue to show the benefits years from now as the culture of lawlessness is changed in Hartford.

And for those that think they are ready for "prime time" and Rovella's job, think twice. Your time may come, but right now we need a Chief with Jim Rovella's management qualities.

In the current climate of Law Enforcement in this country we should be thankful we have a Chief Rovella type at the helm. Community policing and relationships are clearly a priority in Hartford, and you can see that first hand by watching our CSO's interact with community members at various meetings across the City.

The mounted unit is also an example. Despite numerous attempts to eliminate  them at budget times, the horses ( and the officers that ride them) are one of the best public relations tools that money can't buy. It is probably an important time to start a real effort for corporate sponsorships for the mounted unit to avoid any attempts to cut spending and eliminate the unit.

Corporation Counsel- An effort needs to be made to find a City Attorney that can better evaluate and staff the Corp Counsel Office. I think even as far as labor law, much better decisions can be made . Possibly lawyers with more precise expertise in certain areas, such as ;labor law, need to be recruited. Corporation Counsel Office can no longer be the clearing house for  political patronage and payback for well connected law firms.  Things as basic as real estate closings  and FOI complaints should be handled in house by staff. Either that or eliminate staff, it doesn't make sense to have both.

I am going to stop here, because these are the Departments that I feel comfortable writing about, but all departments are important when it comes to the proper functioning of City Hall. It needs to be an entire team effort and accountability needs to be the key phrase. Accountability to the overall operation and accountability to the people the departments serve.

Thursday, December 24, 2015

HARTFORD STF, BLOOMFIELD PD AND MANCHESTER PD COOPERATION YIELDS BIG RESULTS

Cooperation pays off. More guns off our streets

On 12/23/15 at approximately 1700 hrs, Manchester Police along with the Hartford Police Shooting Task Force to include Bloomfield PD, executed a search and seizure warrant for a stolen firearm at 66 Regent Street in Manchester.

Surveillance was established prior to execution resulting in one of the targets of the investigation being detained (Christon Jackson 11/28/90) prior to officers arrival at the residence.  Upon Manchester Police and Shooting Task Force arrival, detectives noticed a male watching from an second story bedroom window. The male was observed quickly retreating into the bedroom and down into a stairwell.

 Entry was immediately forced to the residence and one male subject was detained in the downstairs living room  identified as Cryshawn Jackson 10/7/92.  Officers cleared the residence and discovered an empty leater  the room  holster in the upstairs bedroom that the male was watching from.  A firearm was found underneath a mattress in the room where an adult female was sitting with two small children.  A Beretta PX4 Storm .40 Caliber handgun fully loaded with a chambered round (Serial # PZ48722) was recovered from underneath the mattress ,where the children were sitting. The firearm had been  reported stolen from Manchester in August.  During the investigation numerous firearm related items were seized to include 12 gauge slug and buck shot gun shells, 9mm ammunition, .380 Ammunition, .38 special ammunition, holsters and sawed off shotgun handles.  
Once the initial search was complete,  a delivery of a  firearm to the residence took place while officers were still on scene.  At approximately 2100 hours, a black Mazda  bearing CT registration 1AUMJ6, pulled into the driveway and was subsequently secured by officers. The driver, Rahnda Charles DOB 6/9/95, was in possession of a Walther P99 9mm handgun (Serial # FAH7651) fully loaded with 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition, The weapon had been reported stolen this month out of Manchester.  The front seat passenger, Kemo Teal DOB 12/21/96, was in possession of a silver Walther PPK handgun (Serial # A064404) fully loaded with 5 rounds of .380 ammunition.

Charles and Teal were taken into custody without incident. 

A fourth handgun, a loaded Ruger LCP .380 handgun (Serial # 37184506), was recovered from Christon Jackson's vehicle.  This firearm was reported stolen out of Hebron in May 2015.

The below listed suspects were charged in relation to this case:

Rahnda Charles (5/9/1995), of  90 Orchard Street, Manchester, CT. 53a-212 Theft of a Firearm, 53a-217 Criminal Possession of Firearm, 29-35 Carrying Pistol without a Permit, 29-38 Weapons in Motor Vehicle.
Christon Jackson (11/28/1990), of  66 Regent Street, Manchester, CT. 53a-212 Theft of a Firearm, 29-35 Carrying Pistol without a Permit, 29-38 Weapons in Motor Vehicle, 53a-217 Criminal Possession of Firearm, 53-21 (a)(1) Risk of Injury to a Minor (2 Counts), 21a-279a(a)(1) Possession of <1 b="" marijuana.="" oz="">
Cryshawn Jackson (10/7/1992), of 66 Regent Street, Manchester, CT. 53a-212 Theft of a Firearm, 53-21 (a)(1) Risk of Injury to a Minor (2 Counts), 21a-279a(a)(1) Possession of <1 br="" marijuana.="" oz="">Kemo Teal (12/21/1996), of 10 North Fairfield Street, Manchester, CT. 29-35 Carrying Pistol without a Permit, 21a-279a(a)(1) Possession of <1 b="" marijuana.="" oz="">
Evidence:
Beretta PX4 Storm .40 Caliber handgun (Serial # PZ48722) Walther P99 9mm handgun (Serial # FAH7651) Walther PPK .380 handgun (Serial # A064404) Ruger LCP .380 handgun (Serial # 37184506) Misc ammunition and firearm parts Misc amounts of suspected marijuana

ENGINE 14 PHOTOS

Thank you for the photo.

You can read the original post here  http://wethepeoplehartford.blogspot.com/2015/12/restoring-pride-in-hfd-and-some.html

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

NOW IS NOT THE TIME ADAM, PLEASE

Many of you have talked to me personally about my support for our City Treasurer Adam Cloud. Adam took a lot of heat over the O'Garro insurance payment matter. In conversations he explained to me, and I agree, it was poor decisions on his part. It was also because the entire chain of procedural errors throughout City Hall led to the mess. It wasn't just the Treasurer's Offices that slipped up .It was the whole process. The COO, the Finance Director, the Comptroller, they were all asleep at the switch , or in legal terms, co-conspirators

And as a sidenote, if there was criminal involvement by Adam Cloud in the payment, I kind of think it would have come out before O'Garro's Federal trial where incidentally he was convicted on all counts of the frauds he was charged with.

But unfortunately, poor decisions in the Treasurers Office are once again rearing their ugly head. Adam Cloud is being criticized for the reported $20,000 raise he is taking  since his re-election. This is one decision I can not support. Yes, everyone is entitled to a salary. Adam does manage a large amount of money, especially with the City Pension Funds. But it is called Public Service for a reason. If the Treasurers salary of roughly $140,000 isn't enough, then Mr. Cloud needs to make a decision if it might be time to return to the private sector where the sky is the limit.

There are far worse choices that could be at the helm in the Treasurer's Office .We should be thankful that Adam and his knowledge are managing Hartford's finances.

Giving ones self a raise of $20,000 is not conducive to trust in government. Compounding that is the fact that no one is willing to give a solid explanation how it was slid through under the budgetary radar. I doubt vey much Cloud can tell Payroll to boost his salary by 20 grand on his own. Did the COO or the HR Director help slide it through ,or maybe someone in the Budget Office thought they could bury the increase in the budget?

Yes, the Treasurer is an important position in City Finances and City government , but no more important than other Department Heads . To the best of my knowledge no other Department Head is slated for a 20 grand raise this year.

And for a city that is quite possibly close to a State takeover or bankruptcy, Clouds raise is bad policy. How do we continue to ask employees for concessions at budget time every year and also ask most Departments to do more with less.

It is time for all of  those in City leadership, including Mr. Cloud to lead by example  and get a grip on reality. Mr. Clouds raise is more than many of the household incomes in our City, and it is a bad start for his new term.

Please reconsider this move Adam.

In the meantime, the Hartford City Council may be taking action at Monday nights meeting to stop the raise.

LET PEOPLE KNOW YOU APPRECIATE THEM

On July 5th of this year after suffering my stroke, I have had plenty of time to think about things I would have done differently in my life. Did I take the time to tell people in my life how much I appreciated them?

 I want to draw attention to someone today. Someone I hardly even know, but someone I am also very impressed with. The video below is a video this person posted today on his Facebook page. This young man lost his father way too early to Cancer. But despite that loss of his father, he has grown into a young man that his father, if he was still alive today would be extremely proud of. . He is leading his life as an example that many of our youth should emulate.

From what I understand he is currently attending college and when he completes that he will be entering the United States  Marine Corps. From what I am told he is also showing public service to his home community as a firefighter with the Town of Wethersfield. Just a look at his Facebook page will tell you how well he was raised with a strong emphasis on family, community and service to his Country.

Michael Fallon Jr. is that young man, the son of the late HPD Assistant Police Chief  and Capitol Police Chief Michael Fallon.

The way Michael has grown despite the loss of his father should be the way every parent would want their children to enter adulthood. As tragic as the 9/11 video below is, I can picture Mike Fallon performing very similar acts if called upon. It is just the way he was raised.

All of our young people, especially in Hartford, could take a message from Fallon's life. Putting a 9mm handgun  in your pocket and acting like a tough guy does not make a man. A man is judged by his everyday acts and the service to his community. Michael Fallon jr. is well on the way to meet those marks and I am sure his father is proud as he watches the growth of his son,

Even though I don't know you well Michael Fallon, keep it up, we need more young men like you and Welles Crowther, the young hero portrayed in the you tube video below.. This video is very moving and thought provoking and as tragic as the ending was, you can tell Welles parents  thought, and still think the world of him. They clearly raised him right.



Monday, December 21, 2015

RESTORING PRIDE IN HFD AND SOME CHRISTMAS SPIRIT


The first in a new HFD tradition, Engine 8 /Tac 1 on Park St
The view from my bedroom window, Engine 5 on Sigourney St

The last few nights, I have noticed the view from my bedroom window has changed. My neighbor across the street, Hartford Fire Department Station, Engine 5 has been lit with bright Christmas lights. It seems as though more lights and decorations have been added for the last couple nights.

I never noticed the decorations in years past. On Saturday there was an accident by my driveway and Engine 5 was on scene providing EMS care. I noticed the engine was decorated showing holiday spirit, complete with a large wreath and tinsel.

My curiosity got the best of me and I started asking questions about the decorations. I was told that it was a social media campaign started by Hartford Fire Lieutenant Raul Ortiz on his Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/raul.ortiz.5494 After the decorations were complete on Lt. Ortiz's Engine 8 on Park Street. Lt. Ortiz threw out the challenge to the other  Hartford Firehouses  to start a friendly competition to show their Holiday Spirit and to build morale in the Department.

It seems to be catching on and it is amazing how little things can show leadership. The Hartford Fire Department has been through a couple of tough years. Maybe ideas by leaders like Lt Ortiz can jump start the rebuilding efforts (well, that and a new Chief)

Congratulations to Lieutenant Ortiz for your efforts and also for showing that Hartford does have pride.

The sad part is that the way this Department has been run recently and the poor decision making at  the top, Ortiz will probably get a 90 suspension for unauthorized  use of electricity.

If any other house would like to send me decoration pictures, e-mail them to me and I will post them.