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Tuesday, August 6, 2019

MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE BRONIN CAMPAIGN

HPD JUNIOR POLICE OFFICER BADGE

This past weekend, I was critical of the deceptive false, campaign ad from the Bronin camp. Bronin featured fake Hartford Police Officers played by hired actors to make it look like he had HPD support.

You can read that posting here
http://wethepeoplehartford.blogspot.com/2019/08/more-deception-for-day-this-time-from.html

That is the furthest thing from the truth and HPD rank and file officers will most likely vote to throw their support behind a convicted felon before they will get fooled by Bronin again.

Well as a resident of Hartford I want to be able to do my part in the Bronin campaign effort.

I attended the National Night out tonight at the Sigourney Street  Boys and Girls Club. HPD was there giving out little foam black and white cruisers, like the little squishy balls you squeeze to relieve stress. In addition they were giving out silver Junior Police Badge stickers. I picked up a few for Luke to hand out to the next batch of actors her hires.

No need to thank me Luke, my pleasure.

Monday, August 5, 2019

FROM HPD: HIT AND RUN PEDESTRIAN KILLED

FROM HPD:

On 8/5/19 at 1158 hours, Hartford Police responded the area of 404 Hillside Avenue on a report of an evading motor vehicle accident involving a pedestrian. Upon arrival, a female victim was located in the roadway suffering from severe injuries. The victim was transported to Hartford Hospital where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased at 1349 hours. The victim is believed to be a 55 year old Hartford woman. Her identity is being withheld pending Next of Kin notification.
     The evading vehicle has not been located at this time.
     Detectives from the Hartford Police Crime Scene Division responded to the scene and assumed control of the investigation. Investigation is ongoing.

THEY ARE BEING DELIVERED

Stock photo of a Ford Explorer Cruiser

This post won't mean much to most of my readers. Lately one of the biggest questions I get from Hartford Police Officers calling me is "When are we getting new cars?"

The HPD fleet has begun to show its age, and new cars are long overdue. These vehicles sometimes run almost around the clock 24/7 and somedays it seems like there are more cars on the repair line at DPW than actually running on the streets.

The lack of cars presents a real problem, particularly  in the Patrol Division as officer's scramble  and search at the beginning of their shifts to patrol the streets of Hartford.

Well, good news is on the way. Five new Ford police package Explorers have arrived and are being outfitted in Middletown at the company that sets the cruisers up with lights, sirens and al of the wiring for other electronic equipment on board.

It may not seem like much, but more vehicles are on order. Apparently the Connecticut State Police also have 250 vehicles waiting to be outfitted, so it will be a juggling act for vehicles coming in after the first five are outfitted.

New vehicles are typically rotated through the Command Staff vehicles and trickled down to patrol

But at least it appears there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Sunday, August 4, 2019

THIS IS SCARY, ME AND EDDIE PEREZ ON THE SAME PAGE

I have to ask if Hartford's Mayor Luke Bronin reads the paper or watches the television news. If he did I would have thought he would have realized there has been a huge surge in gun violence the last few weeks. Instead, Bronin held a press conference recently acknowledging the  violence. ( since I originally started this posting a couple weeks ago, at least three more people have been killed and numerous victim's shot)

Who is advising Eddie Perez? His former Chief of Staff? (Pictured above)

Now I will have to give Bronin a little bit of a break , he is in a tight re-election campaign and he does need to spend the majority of his time on the phone fundraising to hit the $1million dollar mark to once again buy the Mayor's Office. Maybe he could maybe spend a little more time performing the job the people of Hartford thought he was going to do.

I found this on the "Eddie Perez for Hartford" website;

Former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez is calling on Luke Bronin to stay in Hartford and work to stem the outbreak of shooting violence in Hartford instead of traveling out of state to collect thousands of dollars in campaign donations from wealthy donors. 
In mid-June, as the number of shooting victims increased, Bronin decided his priority was to leave Hartford to attend a Washington D.C. fundraiser where he collected thousands of dollars from lobbyists and Washington insiders[1].
As the number of shooting victims and deaths continued to rise[2], Bronin jetted to a Beverly Hills Mansion[3] to party with donors who gave him thousands more in campaign donations. That very day, four more people were shot in North Hartford[4].
“Luke Bronin has shown time after time that he is more focused on the needs of his wealthy campaign donors than the people of Hartford. This Hartford gun violence crisis has been growing for over a month, but little has been heard from Bronin because he has focused his time on raising huge sums of campaign cash outside of Hartford for future runs for office. It is time for Luke Bronin to put the people of Hartford first and put his fundraising travel on hold.  It is time he got serious about working with our communities to stem this outbreak of violence.” Perez stated
Those are interesting comments from Perez ,
because as a former Gang Member, he might  possibly have been responsible for his own  share of gun violence in years past, but as much as I hate to admit , he is right in his assessment of Bronin
Up to this point we have not received our money's worth from Bronin. He spent his first 18 months orchestrating his failed run for Governor and now he is preoccupied trying to keep his job from being taken away by a convicted felon and a handful of true Community people ( By Community people, I mean people that have made names for themselves in the community and not just constructing the next rung on their political ambition ladders)

When I originally started this posting, we were at homicide number 15, I saved it as a draft and decided to work on it again today, so it has not gotten better,

Yesterday, the start of West Indian Celebration week, there was a huge shootout in the Northend of Hartford from Windsor Street up to North Main. Police Officers that viewed the HPD C4 surveillance video said it  was amazing no one was killed, either by gunfire or innocent pedestrians the way cars were driving on the sidewalks shooting at each other..

I don't think Luke Bronin gets it. Probably because he feels safe in his own home with C4  Police cameras aimed at the front of his home protecting , mounted by Bushnell Park ( Coincidentally paid for by the taxpayers of Hartford, I seriously doubt any other Hartford resident or business has the same luxury of that surveillance) and the C4 cameras aimed at his back door and parking area from Clinton Street. No one else on Mather Street or Shultas Place  or anywhere else in the City is protected the way the Mayor has protected himself and his family from crime.

Now I know Luke hasn't been here too many years to understand what us long term residents know, but this violence occurs every summer and halfway through the summer is not the time to start planning for it. What steps were set up over the winter to plan initiatives?

Why did it take 15 homicides for Luke to wake up? Why is he just now calling for a dedicated Gun Prosecutor? We had one under Chief Rovella's Shooting Task Force model, and by most accounts Prosecutor Dave Zagaja did an outstanding job following cases through to the end and helped in getting gun play off our streets.

Connecticut State Troopers were embedded  with the Shooting Task Force along with East Hartford, West Hartford, Manchester Windsor, Wethersfield and police Officers from other agencies . Federal agencies and State Probation and Parole Officer's as well. They were all tools in  now Commissioner Rovellas toolbopx when he was given the orders  by Governor Malloy and Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane to "do something about the violence in Hartford" It is time to dust off Jim Rovella's master plan and recreate STF or something similar. Although STF wasn't popular with politicians at City Hall because of the mental image it created.

Rather, I think Bronin needs to look at the results it produced and also the results you can't quantify, how much gun violence was prevented by their efforts and work behind the scenes that didn't result in arrests, but prevented shootings.

I think  it is irresponsible to leave an "Interim" Chief in that position during such periods of violence. An Interim Chief is basically a lameduck Chief  unwilling to make major changes while walking on eggshells with the Administration if they are applying for the permanent job ( I also am not sure if there has even been an application process since Chief Rosado resigned)

A national search would also set HPD back in finding candidates and then the learning curve if they were hired to figure out HPD and the City. Remember Eddie Perez's experiment, Patrick Hartnett from NYPD.

Jason Thody may not be the perfect choice but he is the best choice for the sudden exit of David Roasdo. I think Bronin either doesn't realize  who he has or hasn't worked enough with Deputy Chief William Long. Long is well versed in the inner workings of HPD and is already responsible of many of  the Administrative functions at HPD and the day to day functions from everything fro, vehicles to overtime accountability. Long would also be , in addition to Thody,  a great choice for permanent Chief. ( if this is considered an endorsement by me, it will probably be the kiss of death because Bronin , I am sure doesn't appreciate my opinion)

Even thought the powers to be and Council members didn't like the image of the Shooting Task Force, the image of bodies dropping in the streets on an almost daily basis from shootings and homicides isn't much better.

Luke forget the fundraising and the out of state trips. I think a million dollars in your coffers already is enough to beat your competition and actually doing the job you were elected to do may prove priceless as far as the voters are concerned.

Friday, August 2, 2019

MORE DECEPTION FOR THE DAY, THIS TIME FROM LUKE BRONIN

LUKE BRONINS FAKE ACTOR COPS
MAJOR DIRESPECT TO HARTFORD POLICE OFFICERS

Can anyone be honest?

Earlier today I posted about the deceptive release of HPD bodycam footage after it was altered by The Tolland County States attorney investigating last weeks officer involved shooting.

Now the deception is continuing, this time by our esteemed Mayor Luke Bronin, and the esteemed part is  sarcasm in case you are wondering.

Bronin apparently put out a campaign ad tonight touting his accomplishments in hiring Police Officers Police Officers everywhere in the ad. Police Officers walking, Police officers standing by a cruiser, a female Police Officer taking a stroll with Bronin.

It is all a shame. Most of the Police Officers were blurred just enough to unrecognizable., but two shots it is clear to anyone that has actually met a Hartford cop and respects the work they do that these are not Hartford Officers. Those are not Hartford Police badges they are wearing. Those aren't even Hartford Police patches on those uniforms. Heck, I don't even think those are HPD issued holsters.

For someone that claims he has done so much for HPD ( besides cut their benefits and slash their contract),isn't it sad he has to hire actors to walk with him posing as Hartford Officers? He probably couldn't find any self respecting Hartford Officer to be used by him and his campaign.

Deception is deception and I guess Luke is losing his deceptive touch, He really screwed up on this one and to the best of my knowledge even the HPD Union was leaning toward endorsing another candidate besides Bronin.

Isn't it interesting that in the ad on facebook at "Luke Bronin for Hartford" Bronin touts the diversity he has brought to the Hartford Police, yet there is not person of color depicted in any of the actors playing Hartford Officer's. Oops.

How low will Luke go to buy the Mayor's Office again. You would think with his million dollar war chest he could have put out a better ad with a Director who pays better attention to critical details

Luke Bronin owes a huge apology to the hard working men and women of the Hartford Police Department for his deception and dishonesty.

SHOULD WE HAVE ANY CONFIDENCE IN THE OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING INVESTIGATION?

As I prepare to write this post, I can't help but think that it may have serious consequences. It is also making  a couple of quotations to keep running through my head as I put my words together. "Oh! What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive" is first, the second is from one of our older Hartford neighbors, Mark Twain "If you always tell the truth, you never have to remember the lies".

You might ask why I am thinking this way on a beautiful  Friday morning. It is because Hartford has the potential of a huge storm brewing on the horizon. I love my City and I don't want to see that storm hit.

The recent Officer involved shooting by the Hartford Police Department hat  the potential to look like a sham and erode the relationships between our Police Department and the community.

That potential loss of confidence has nothing to do with our Police Department, but in the end it will totally be the result of actions by the Tolland County States Attorney and the Office of the Connecticut Chief States Attorney.

By law, the States Attorney takes over any Police Officer Involved Shooting (OIS). It is meant to avoid any appearance of impropriety by removing the investigation from the Department that the officer came from and turning the responsibility over to a States Attorney outside of the district of the Police Department involved and the actual investigation , including evidence gathering and witness interviews are handled by  the Connecticut State Police.

It is a difficult assignment to get all the egos and personalities working together and put their differences aside to gather the facts and get to the truth.  I am being told by sources familiar with the OIS Investigation that is not happening and tempers are flaring with thee old Al Haig mentality and claims that "I'm in charge"

Commissioner James Rovella oversees the Connecticut State Police and is a familiar , trusted name and face to the people  of Hartford. Anyone who knows Commissioner Rovella knows that he is a huge proponent  for transparency and honest and open dialogue with the community he serves.

Tolland County States Attorney Matthew Gedansky appears to be the opposite of Rovella and the perfect storm is being created to potentially strike Hartford unless Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane  begins the storm prep  to head it off.

When I first heard about the issues regarding the release of HPD Body cam footage, and its potential delay, I have to say I was very surprised. From Officer's at the scene that I spoke with and from various media accounts, it seemed like this was clearly a justified shooting.  So why the delay in releasing the footage?

Part of the explanation  from sources familiar with the investigation was that Gedansky was an old school prosecutor and didn't see the need to share anything until his investigation was complete. Gedansky clearly didn't understand the community needs in an urban area like Hartford and he admitted as much to me when I spoke to him by phone on Wednesday.

I am told by sources that the video was released  Tuesday after some intervention by a "higher power" under the gold dome. It is good to see that someone besides Commissioner Rovella understands "community" and the public trust

I had called Gedansky  Wednesday to try to set up a Community meeting to answer questions that I was reading on social media that were becoming more and more inflammatory daily. The main question was regarding whether the full body camera footage was released and had the video been edited in any way.  there were other questions that I thought could be readily explained  and might avoid some problems if explained to community members. Questions such as why didn't they just Taser him instead of shooting him? Why didn't they just shoot and wound him instead of killing him? Why were the audio muted on portions at the beginning of the body cam video?

So when I spoke with SA Gedansky by phone, he readily agreed to attend a community meeting to explain  what he could. I asked him right out if the full body cam footage had been released, I was somewhat surprised when he answered "No". I had been told by another source that Commissioner Rovella was very upset when he found out that Gedansky had taken it upon himself to  edit the video. 

In my phone conversation with him I asked if the video released had been edited. Again I was surprised when Gedansky answered "Yes. the video had been edited". I asked why that was done, and why was no one told up front or at the time it was released that they were getting an edited version and not the full raw video.

Subsequent to that conversation I had a conversation with Commissioner Rovella and he confirmed everything Gedansky told me. Rovella said that the edits were totally at the direction of Gedansky and not in his control. I am also well aware that Commissioner Rovella , Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody and even Mayor Bronin were adamant almost from the  time the crime scene was being secured that is was imperative to release the body cam footage publicly as soon as possible to maintain the public trust and confidence in the process.

This is where I think the choice of Gedansky as the overseer of the investigation is wrong and needs to be reviewed or reassigned by Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane. In my conversations with Gedansky, he readily admitted he didn't understand Hartford or its "inner workings "with the community. He also stated at one point "people in Tolland  trust me"

 Well, Mr. Gedansky, in Hartford, unlike Tolland, that trust needs to be earned and isn't just automatic because you are in a position of authority. I think that is where Commissioner Rovella is critical. Rovella has spent years in Hartford developing those relationships and trust.

I tried to explain to Mr. Gedansky that those relationships that have taken years to build, could be quickly damaged when the community found out that he was being less than truthful in releasing the body cam footage without any disclaimer or explanation that the video had been altered or edited or whatever they want to call it. That is  deceptive and does not exhibit any transpareny and it is a disservice to HPD and the officer's involved if there is a lack of confidence in Gedansky's final report.

In trying to finalize the community meeting with Gedansky, I asked him what the chances were of the community actually being able to see the raw video  of the bodycam footage. His response was "Zero". Gedansky claims he made a promise to "the family". I questioned Gedansky why the "family"  interest carried more weight than the public interest . He just replied he had made a promise to the family when he showed them the video last Saturday and they requested portions be edited out when the video was released.

Apparently there were huge issues this week when Commissioner Rovella was made aware that the video had been edited, SA Gedansky had apparently had State Police technicians edit/alter the video last Sunday. Since I have not seen the raw video, I am not sure what was edited out or how much more it would show, but I doubt very much that community members political leaders or even NAACP members that have had somewhat private viewings would appreciate that they were shown bodycam footage that apparently they were unaware had been edited by Mr. Gedansky and totally at his discretion and at the request of the "family'

Surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly, I received a call , again from a source familiar with the investigation, yesterday afternoon that Mr. Gedansky was instructed to meet with "the family" today to show them the full video. Wait a minute , I thought Gedansky told me that the edits had occurred after the family watched the full video but now I'm being told today will be the first time they see it? Wait a minute here, someone is not telling the truth.

In the meantime, Chief Thody has to maintain calm in the City after an Officer Involved Shooting, Commisioner Rovella has to expend resources to conduct a thorough investigation by CSP and that could all be an impossible task in the end if no one has confidence in the report,

Mr Gedansky , this is Hartford and unlike Tolland, trust in you and your work is not automatic you need to earn it the old fashioned way, by being transparent and truthful. 

Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane, it is within your power to fix this. Please transfer the investigation to someone that understands Hartford such as the SA from Bridgeport, New Haven or even Waterbury. The public's trust in the process for this and future investigations is imperative