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Saturday, February 27, 2016

A JUDGE LAYS OUT BOTH SIDES OF THE PROBLEM




 I found this video yesterday on-line. It is Judge Vonda Evans before she sentences a Detroit area Police Officer ( most likely former Police officer now) for his racist beating of an African American man after a traffic stop.

I originally thought I would only make it through the first few seconds of a "high and mighty": Judge's lecture from the bench. But Judge Evan's remarks actually pinpointed the problems we have when we hire human beings to keep our communities safe. Or at least we try to.

After watching the full video, we need to realize here in Hartford, that we are fortunate to have the Police Department w have. Is it perfect? No. We have a Chief, and finally now a Mayor, that seems to actually get the meaning of Community Oriented Policing. It is not just a buzz word to throw around and make things sound good. But it is a mind set that both the Community and the Officers patrolling our neighborhoods need to buy into.

Thursday nights Town Hall meeting is a good start, but I think there needs to be a lot more education. The community needs to understand how the Police Department functions and the constraints that are put on any Police Department by staffing and Budget issues Why can't I have a Police Officer at my door within five minutes after I call?

We can't be afraid to say maybe because we haven't hired in years and we are over 100, probably more, officers short of where we should be. And as much as they would like to be at your door in minutes, resources are tied up responding to the woman in Blue Hills lying on her front porch for cover as gun shots were just fired in front of her driveway as she parked her car.

And we as a community also need to be part of the solution. Law enforcement are not meant to be surrogate parents for those children  in our community growing up without adults acting like adults in their lives. We need to develop much better programs to mentor and build strong neighborhoods. And end the path to prison for so many of our youth.

There is a lot more to accepting Grant checks for these programs than cashing the check and giving yourself the title of Executive Director  with a huge salary. We need to start demanding a return on our investments. Accountability and status reports need to be a requirement. A "non-profit" should not also be allowed to be "non-producing".

Judge Evans seems to get it, and she isn't afraid to say it. I think we need a lot more of that to get things on track

THE COST OF INSANITY


If anyone needs proof that we just came through six years of  incompetence and reckless financial
management  ( or maybe I should say mismanagement) the info above should be all the proof you need. It is a screen capture from a payroll report, known as "page 1" around HPD. It is the total wages paid to the top earner at HPD for the 2015 year.

LET BE VERY CLEAR ON THIS POINT. This officer did nothing wrong, who wouldn't quadruple their annual salary if given the opportunity. Especially if it was your last year before retiring and that salary contributes to your pension calculation... for the rest of your life.

 The 'PJPay Amount" doesn't bother me as much as the "OTPayAmt". Although I have to wonder what shape any officer working those hours would be in, both physically and mentally. It has to take a toll on someones family life and even their attitude when they report to work after working all those hours. Keep in mind that many of the PJ hours are accrued working "road jobs" or construction jobs during summer months. Who wouldn't be exhausted after standing in 90 degree heat directing traffic all day on a hot street during July?

The City of Hartford does make money off these road jobs though, last year alone over $3 million dollars in profit was seen by the City on PJ invoices billed

But the greater concern to me is that these earnings , especially the OT and pensions, are not sustainable for the City's budget..

For the last several years, under former Mayor Pedro Segarra and Council President Shawn Wooden, the City has turned a blind eye to its financial responsibility and accountability. Mayor Luke Bronin has inherited a mess. That mess must now be addressed and it is going to mean some tough decisions that aren't going to make everyone happy. It will, in reality, probably make very few , if any happy.

The choices now have become a necessity after years of neglect and incompetence. Hiring in the police Department has pretty much been ignored by Segarra for years. He can't say he didn't know. The documents to both Segarra and the reckless former Council are there. The warnings were loud and clear, the documents and e-mails prove it

But to be fair, anyone with a scintilla of management skill should have been able to look at the numbers. In the 1980's and 1990's , Hartford was hiring large numbers of Police Officer's. Common sense would tell you to keep an eye on the calendar because those large numbers being hired would be retiring in twenty ( now twenty five years) after their hire date.

We never kept track or planned for the future, so now HPD as well as Hartford's residents are in a crisis situation, paying huge OT costs and trying to scramble to rebuild HPD staffing levels.

Thank you Pedro, Shawn and our former OMB Chair Ken Kennedy for driving us off the financial cliff. I only hope Mayor Bronin can bring us back on track before a State take over or a bankruptcy is necessary.

I guess the one positive thing that could come out of a State takeover is that apparently all contracts and agreements would become null and void and we could begin over with some common sense.

In the meantime, it would be nice to see some of those salary dollars going to qualified Hartford residents. They are out there, we just need to do a better job of finding and recruiting them

Thursday, February 25, 2016

HPD UNVEILS NEW CRIME CENTER-RAW VIDEO

The Hartford Police Department unveiled their new Crime Center Wednesday afternoon. Here is the raw video of the event.

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REAL TALK FROM MAYOR BRONIN, TONIGHT'S SUBJECT-PUBLIC SAFETY

Tonight, Mayor Luke Bronin held another of his Town Hall Meetings. Tonight's topic was Public Safety.

Unlike community meetings from the past administration, the sugar coating was gone. It was honest and frank conversations about the staffing shortages in the Police Department and tough budget decisions facing the City for both Police and Fire.

City residents in attendance who stepped up to the microphone were  supportive of the efforts of HPD and HFD and the services they provide to our community. I think it was also important that Chief Rovella chose to attend the meeting without a large entourage. People were able to speak to the Chief and some from the Mayor's Staff one-on one, in a very low key manor. I think a large uniformed contingent would have kept that from happening.

Both Chief Rovella and Chief Freeman welcomed residents to call them directly with comments, concerns or questions. Chief Rovella can be reached at 860-757-4000 and Chief Freeman can be reached at 860-757-4500.

Before the meeting began I was somewhat concerned that the opinions might not be supportive of our Police Department. The comments were mostly geared toward HPD and I was afraid that what seems like a national sentiment to bash cops would prevail. Apparently those in attendance realized how fortunate we are here to have the Community Oriented Policing program that Chief Rovella has built in Hartford and the comments stayed on point and very positive.

Several speakers related personal experiences but one in particular really stood out. The woman related how she returned home one night this week to hear gunfire close by as she walked to her front porch. She apparently observed a car pulling away with someone shooting out of the window . She immediately dove for the ground and laid on her front porch to avoid the gunfire. Almost immediately HPD showed up in front of her house. With the assistance of "Shot Spotter" the location was pinpointed and officers were dispatched immediately. The woman couldn't provide much additional information since she was on the ground, but she sang the praises of the Shot spotter technology

Mayor Bronin and Chief Rovella both emphasized the use of technology to increase the effectiveness of HPD's policing efforts.

Mayor Bronin's Office issued the following release after the meeting:

MAYOR BRONIN HOLDS TOWN HALL ON PUBLIC SAFETY  

— NEWS AND COMMUNITY STATEMENT —  

(February 25, 2016) Today, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin hosted his second monthly town hall. Speaking with residents gathered at Hartford Public High School, the Mayor stressed the importance of hiring police officers to address the crisis in police staffing, using new technology to modernize the police force, and engaging the community more directly.  

“Our most fundamental responsibility is to help keep our streets and neighborhoods safe,” Mayor Bronin said. “That starts with addressing the crisis in police staffing, but we also need to take full advantage of new technology and build even stronger partnerships with residents and community leaders.”

The Hartford Police Department is currently more than 100 officers below the staffing level recommended by independent consultants. Earlier this month, the Mayor accelerated the hiring of a new Police Academy class, consisting of 14 recruits and a Cadet from HPD’s restructured Cadet Program for city residents. The HPD has established a Recruiting Unit to assist in improving the recruitment of city residents and increase the diversity of the police force.

On Wednesday, Hartford unveiled a new Real-Time Crime and Data Intelligence Center to improve city policing and prevent criminal activity in the Greater Hartford region by taking advantage of new technology. The new crime center will help law enforcement make smart, targeted, timely arrests to get the most violent individuals off the street.

The Mayor stressed the importance of engaging the community in new ways to solve problems and generate ideas to tackle violence. In particular, he discussed the City’s plan to open Compstat meetings to the public, including the leaders of the faith community. At Compstat meetings, police share data and information about trends in criminal activity throughout the city.

While laying out the three pillars of staffing, modernization and community engagement as keys to the law enforcement strategy, Mayor Bronin noted that law enforcement is only a part of the public safety equation. “As we continue to strengthen law enforcement efforts, we also need to recognize that public safety is about much more than law enforcement. That’s why we’re going to continue to focus on expanding youth employment, combatting blight, cleaning up our neighborhoods, and building partnerships to help residents with criminal records get a real second chance,” the Mayor said.

“The single most powerful tool for reducing crime in our city is to give Hartford’s young people opportunities for meaningful employment,” the Mayor added. “I am committed to establishing a Youth Service Corps. where members will have the chance to earn a paycheck while serving their community, whether it’s fixing up blighted properties or helping seniors with their homes.”

Mayor Bronin has committed to holding monthly town halls in different neighborhoods around Hartford.  He hosted a January town hall addressing his administration’s priorities and his first 30 days in office.

###

FROM HPD: WELL ARMED DRUG DEALING

Isaiah Quinonez

On Wednesday, February 24, 2016, at approximately 12:10 p.m., while conducting Bodega/ Convenience Store inspections, HPD Patrol Officers observed a suspicious vehicle parked in front of 3391 Main Street.  The operator of the vehicle appeared to be conducting hand to hand transactions of narcotics with at least two individuals.  During the course of their investigation HPD Officers developed probable cause and located marijuana, packaging materials, and a loaded .45 caliber semiauto Ruger handgun.  The operator was licensed to carry, however, the firearm was seized and tagged for safekeeping, pending a review of the incident by Connecticut State Police Weapons and Permits Unit.  The operator was arrested and transported to the Hartford Police Booking facility and charged with several narcotic charges. 

Evidence:
.45 Caliber semi auto "Ruger" model SR 1911 handgun
$4810.00 in U.S. currency
Two bags of marijuana (0.5 ounces)
Arrested: Isaiah, Quinonez, 31, of Hartford, CT
Charges:
1.      Possession of a controlled substance
2.      Possession with intent to sell

FROM HPD: BARBERSHOP DRUG ARREST

Joctan Hernandez

During the month of February, HPD Detectives from the Vice and Narcotics unit were contacted by the Windsor Police Department in regards to a business in Hartford that was selling "tainted" heroin.  Windsor Police were investigating a non fatal overdose due to possible tainted heroin.  An individual identified the G&T Barber Shop as the location where the tainted heroin was purchased.  HPD Vice and Narcotic Detectives were able to obtain a valid search and seizure warrant for this location.  Upon execution of this search warrant, HPD Detectives located 6 individuals inside the business.  A search of the business produced a bag inside a garbage can containing 46 bags of heroin, 17 bags of cocaine, and 4 bags of marijuana.  The Manager of the business informed Detectives that the drugs located in the store belonged to him.  The Manager was placed under arrest for drug related charges and transported to the Hartford Booking facility.  A second individual inside the store was found to be in possession of less than 4 ounce of marijuana and was issued an infraction ticket.  The heroin tested inconclusive for Fentanyl and will be sent to the State lab for further testing. 

Evidence:
46 bags of heroin
17 bags of cocaine
4 bags of marijuana
$125.00 in U.S. Currency
Arrested: Joctan Hernandez, 42, of Hartford, CT
Charges:
1.      Possession of Narcotics
2.      Possession of Narcotics With Intent to Sell
3.      Possession of Narcotics With Intent to Sell within 1500 ft of school
4.      Possession of a Controlled Substance

Ticketed:  Hector Marrero, 19, of Hartford, CT
Charges:
1.        Possession of a Controlled Substance