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Wednesday, February 15, 2017

BEATING THE WRONG DRUM

Let me say this right up front, police corruption and abuse in any form is wrong, no matter what the reason. Let me also say this,  I think I can honestly claim that very few people in Hartford have done more to expose and get the facts on police misconduct in our City than I have. It also seems unusual that many Hartford Police Officers are in my circle of friends because they appreciate what I do.

Just go back and read the archives of this blog to find numerous examples. One example is the police officer who had no problem running around the Foxwoods Casino yelling the "N"  word. That one took some work to eventually get the videos and incident reports from the Mashantucket Police, but I finally did and that officer was terminated from HPD. The lobster thief Police Officer was another one. But I get my facts and look at those facts objectively, and try to get the right thing done.

No self respecting police officer condones bad behavior. When I recently posted video of the June 4, 2016 incident I showed it to a few police officers first before I posted it. Not to get their approval, but more to see what their thoughts were. I was surprised that all of the officers urged me to post the video because the behavior was over the top of acceptable force to effect an arrest.

One officer even went so far as to say that those officers that would engage in such behavior were a liability to every good officer that conducts themselves properly and they did not want to be drawn into a mess created by officers that cross the line.

I was somewhat dismayed, and yes aggravated , by the behavior of one Hartford City Councilwoman last night and the audience comments.

I fully understand it is popular to bash all police officers now a days, and it also isn't popular to defend good cops. But where will we be without their efforts and full cooperation with the community?

I said I was dismayed and aggravated by the actions at Monday's Council meeting, not because of what was being said, but more of what was not being said. Not one person acknowledged that the entire investigation into the June 4th incident was started by Chief Rovella and others at HPD after they were clearly concerned by evidence of the potential force used during the arrest. It wasn't a member of the community, it wasn't the arrestee, it was members of the very police department that were questioning the actions of some of their own. That doesn't sound like the makings of a conspiracy or cover-up to me

 It was more about creating more mistrust in our police officers by unleashing a phony conspiracy theory that Mayor Bronin and HPD were getting rid of members of the Civilian Police Review Board and trying to portray abuse and corruption as running rampant in HPD..

The fact is that a group of lapdogs that couldn't even make enough noise over the years to get their ranks fully filled, maybe don't have the organizational skills needed to be productive. Why is it that they could find their way to the media, and at least one Councilwoman, when they felt they were being targeted for dismissal, but couldn't use those same means to get moving in a positive direction? Politics pure and simple and politics at its worst.

And where is the complaint on the June 4th incident for the Civilian Review Board to investigate? The answer is that there isn't one. The CPRB is overstepping its bounds and creating an incident to bring relevance to themselves. If there is such a backlog of cases as they claim, then what are they doing to bring justice to the people who have actually taken the time and effort to  file complaints with them?

 And what authority does the CPRB have to follow through on an investigation? Do they have powers of arrest? Can they file charges above and beyond what the State's Attorney, the Connecticut State Police and potentially HPD Internal affairs can do? The answer is NO.

And as to the issue of the Police Officers who did not volunteer statements during the investigation, go back and read the Constiitution. Although we may not agree with it, Police Officer's do not give up their protection and their Constitutional rights when they accept a badge and a gun.

We should expect our politicians and so called "community leaders" to be doing everything they can to build relationships and trust between our community and the police, not tearing  them down

Saturday, February 11, 2017

CLOSING IN ON 2 MILLION VISITS

That little counter on the right is clicking away, and it looks like this may be the week We The People hits 2 million visits.

Thank you for your continued support, readership and information that has made this blog so popular.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

PARKING BAN:
A City wide on street parking ban will be implemented for the approaching winter storm. The Parking Ban begins Sunday, February 12th at 11:00 a.m. and continues to Monday, February 13th at 8:00 a.m. Coordinated Police enforcement will begin Sunday, February 12th at 3:30 p.m. Parking tickets issued during the parking ban will reflect a charge of $97.00 SNOW EMERGENCY., (plus towing fees)
During this event, the Department of Public Works will again use the “Blue Light” notification system. Blue strobe lights mounted near control signals will be activated at intersections throughout the City six hours prior to a parking ban, remaining on until the parking ban is over. In the near future, additional signs will be erected indicating a parking ban is in effect when blue light is illuminated. (Thank you to We the People for pointing this omission out)
Below is a list of off street parking areas provided by the Department of Public Works where motorists are encouraged to park while the parking ban is in effect. Also listed are school lots. Please note that vehicles parked in school lots must be removed within the three hours following the end of the parking ban to allow snow removal from schools.

130 Sisson Ave.
2404 Main St.
135 Main St.
50 Curcombe St.
20 Francis Court
60 Chadwick St.
11 Flower St.
Colt Park - Warwarme St. Lot
Elizabeth Park - Asylum St. Lot
Elizabeth Park - Prospect Ave. Lot
Goodwin Park - Hubbard Ave, Lot
Goodwin Park - Maple Ave. Golf Course Lot
Keney Park - Woodland St. Lot
Keney Park - Ridgefield St. Lot
Rocky Ridge Park - Zion St, Lot
Thomas J. Hyland Memorial Park - Ansonia St. Lot
Foster Heights Park - Amherst St. Lot
Holcomb Health Services Campus - 2 Holcomb St. Lot
North End Senior Center - 80 Coventry St. Lot
Parker Memorial Community Center - 2621 Main St. Lot
Metzner Recreation Center - 680 Franklin Ave. Lot
School Lots:
Barbour School (J&MA) 150 Tower Ave.
Bulkeley 300 Wethersfield Ave
Bellizzi (Asian studies) 215 South Main Street
Batchelder School 757 New Britain Ave
Betances School 42 Charter Oak Ave
Breakthrough 1 290 Brookfield Street
Burns Elementary 195 Putnam Street
Burr 400 Wethersfield Ave
Capital Prep 1304 Main street
Clark 75 Clark Street
Classical Magnet 85 Woodland Street
Dwight 585 Wethersfield Ave.
Lewis Fox Middle School 305 Greenfield Street
Fisher 280 Plainfield Street
Hartford Magnet Middle School 43 Vernon Street
High School Inc. 275 Asylum Street
HPHS 55 Forrest Street
Hooker 200 Sherbrooke Ave.
Kennelly 180 White Street
ML King 25 Ridgefield Street
Kinsella 65 Van Block Ave
Mark Twain 395 Lyme Street
McDonough 111 Hillside Ave
MD Fox 470 Maple Ave
MD Fox Swing 245 Locust Street
Milner 104 Vine Street
Mt. Laurel 121 Cornwall Street
Moylan 101 Catherine Street
Naylor 639 Franklin Ave
Opportunity 875 Asylum Ave
Parkville 1755 Park street
Pathways 184 Windsor Ave
Quirk 85 Edwards Street
Rawson 260 Holcomb Street
Sanchez 176 Babcock Street
Sand 1750 Main street
Simpson Waverly 55 Waverly Street
Sports Medicine 280 Huyshope Ave.
Univ. Sci & Eng. 351 Mark Twain Dr.
Webster 5 Cone Street
West Middle/ Annex 927 Asylum Ave
Wish 350 Barbour Street
Weaver 415 Granby Street
Adult Ed. South 110 Washington St.

Friday, February 10, 2017

OFFICE OF CHILD ADVOCATE RELEASES REPORT ON HARTFORD SCHOOLS



I will be posting much more on this over the weekend, but here is the report for those of you interested in reading about this Huge failure by the Hartford's Schools.

Oca Report Hps 2017  on Scribd

DID SOMEONE AT DPW FORGET TO ORDER THE SALT

You would think by this point, the City of Hartford would be tired of being ridiculed for its lack of snowplowing "prowess". I think it also shows that many of Hartford's budget cuts and layoffs are coming from the wrong end of the City Hall employment spectrum. Maybe instead of a Blight Manager, we should employ 3 or 4 more plow operators with that salary. Maybe a couple less attorney's in Corp Counsel, and a few more laborers to clear the streets. Maybe instead of Attorney's in DPW , we find a person who knows which end of a snowplow should be touching the street during plow operations.

 It is not "rocket science " as the saying goes.

Today , when I saw the poor condition of Farmington Avenue and Sigourney Street, a major intersection, I told myself I couldn't just complain. I thought in fairness,I needed to check and see if maybe chemicals weren't working right because of the low temperature. I risked life and limb on Hartford's streets and ventured west to the City line.

I knew I had arrived in West Hartford when I was blinded by the sun shining off the newly fallen snow and the reflection of the sun off the wet, clear pavement. Why does a few feet and a City
Line sign make such a difference?

Then I recalled Pedro Segarra's explanation during the last Mayoral campaign. It is those suburban scoundrels coming into Hartford and sweeping the snow off their cars, crippling Hartford's traffic.Maybe Mayor Bronin can ask them not to do that....please.....during his "Bail out Hartford" regional tour.

I also understand the problems of clearing City streets with vehicles left on the streets. But I also realize that there has to be a better way to get the message out, not just when a storm is impending. It just seems some what immoral to declare a parking ban, tow residents vehicles and subject them to fees of over $200.00 per vehicle if we don't then properly plow those streets after we tow.

I know HPD tries to coordinate those efforts, but there is a breakdown somewhere. It also seems wrong to ask residents to park in school lots and then tow the cars that obey the ban because they don't get their cards back onto the un-plowed streets soon enough when the ban ends.

If we can put up the "blue light special" strobes , why can't we identify the first ten or fifteen spots in school lots as "tow free zones" for residents to park so as to not obstruct school operations. Many of these residents who are towed are Hartford's "working poor" and are quite possibly sleeping at 11:00am or whatever time they now face the Board of Education imposed towing because they are coming home from working two or three jobs just to survive

And for the dozens of residents who were towed from school lots today, let me ask why? What was the rush? Just to show that they can still be controlled? Hartford's Schools were closed today due to the snow. They are closed for the weekend, and Monday is a holiday. But I guess the Hartford BOE proved its point, they are in charge of school properties, even though those same residents they towed pay the bills for those properties.
PARK AND WASHINGTON STREETS


DOWNTOWN, SHOULD BE INTERESTING FOR XL CENTER EVENTS THIS WEEKEND


FARMINGTON  AVENUE AND SIGOURNEY STREET

HOW DOES WEST HARTFORD DO IT RIGHT? BARE PAVEMENT, NO SNOW AND CURB TO CURB




Thursday, February 9, 2017

A RESPONSE FROM THE CITY OF HARTFORD ON THE BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL

This e-mail was sent to me this morning to explain why there wasn't signage to identify the reason for flashing blue lights around the City.

Dear Mr. Brookman,

Thank you for your blog post on the blue light program.  Your blog is widely read and I appreciate your help in spreading awareness of the meaning of the flashing blue lights.  Please note that the City has installed signage at two locations: Sisson and West & Park and Main.  These two locations are gateways to the areas of the City where we encounter the highest frequency of non-compliance with parking bans.  These locations are also proximate to entrances to two of the newly-created free resident snow storm parking areas.  Additional signs have already been manufactured and will be placed as soon as possible.  Every blue light will be accompanied by a sign.  This brief delay was due to a backorder situation on the DOT standard wire-span hanger brackets.  Alternative brackets have been identified and are now in transit to the City.  Installation will proceed immediately and take approximately two days.  We are working as quickly as possible to reduce incidents of ticketing and towing while ensuring the ability of DPW operators to clear the streets curb-to-curb.  Again, thank you for getting this information out.

Warmest Regards,

David

David A. Tanner
Deputy Director
City of Hartford Department of Public Works