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Thursday, October 8, 2020

HPD BURGLARIZED OVERNIGHT


Numerous sources within the Hartford Police Department are confirming that the HPD Impound lot  behind 50 Jennings Road was burglarized over night.

Apparently thieves were able to break into the lot and steal multiple ATV's and Quads that were being held as evidence . These vehicles are typically confiscated by HPD officers when they are being operated illegally on Hartford's streets.

 A request for comment and details from Hartford Police spokesperson LT. Paul Cicero has gone unanswered as of this time.

Chief Jason Thody apparently also began a vacation today so no comment from him either.

Common sense would seem to dictate that an alarm on the fence surrounding the supposed secure area would have been in use, That, according to sources, is not the case. So much for the lot being a secure area for evidence storage.

Cicero also did not respond to the question  as to whether any video captured the burglary.

It just gets better and better, and these are professionals running the place?

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

WHAT'S THE PLAN ,JASON?

 

                                                           HPD RECENT CRIME STATS


Hartford is in the middle of a violent crime spree. The numbers speak for themselves, at least 16 shooting victims in the last 10 days. HPD's own Crime statistics show a 700% increase in shootings and shooting victims in the week between September 27th and October 3rd, 2020. The  numbers for the last month show a 200% increase.

Although these numbers seem to speak for themselves of the state of violent crime  in Hartford, two people that seem not to be speaking are Hartford's Police Chief Jason Thody and Mayor Luke Bronin.

Why the silence? Neither of them, Bronin or Thody are addressing the issue or laying out any plans to combat the problem.

Under former Chief Jim Rovella, a plan was devised at the direction of former Governor Dan Malloy when Hartford was facing severe gun violence and violent crime issues. The results of Rovella's plan were instantaneous. Large quantities of illegal guns were seized in record numbers, shooters were taken off the streets and gun cases were successfully prosecuted and deadly crime decreased under Rovella's plans.

What happened? Why did Thody dismantle most of Rovella's initiatives and why haven't they been revised to fight this obvious problem or at the very least , can't Thody come up with some fresh ideas.

 Where is HPD's Intelligence Division? Why aren't patrol officers and others being provided information on the shooting trends and suspected shooters . Why aren't more gun arrests being made. Some days it seems like only the Patrol Division know how to track illegal; guns and get them off the street.

Where is Project Longevity, a proven program created  under Rovella to combat consistent offenders and shooters.  It worked, and was replicated across the State and had results dealing with felons.. 

If Chief Thody doesn't have a plan or is unsure how to devise a plan, give me a call Jason and I'll share my contact info for Commissioner Rovella. I'm sure he would once again be willing to share his expertise to help the City he loves.

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

IS A NEW ASSISTANT CHIEF IN THE WINGS FOR HPD?

 

KENNY HOWELL

Several  Hartford Police sources are telling me that a new Assistant Police Chief should be named at HPD soon. Apparently Chief Thody has informed some, including his Commanders at a recent Compstat meeting, that he has selected an African American male, who is also an attorney, to be brought into the number 2 slot.

Assistant Chief Ralph Medina, a retired State Trooper, was brought in as an Assistant Chief under  former Chief David Rosado, also a retired Trooper. It is unclear whether Thody is planning on replacing Medina or filling a second Assistant Chief slot.

A second Assistant Chief spot has not been filled for several years.

Word is that Thody has selected retired New Haven Police Lieutenant Kenny Howell , an African American  male, to fill the slot. Howell served 21 years with the New Haven Police Department before his retirement. Howell was then selected as Police Chief in Millbury Massachusetts until 2015 when his contract was abruptly ended and not renewed for unknown reasons.

In media reports, Howell claimed it was for "ruffling feathers" in the troubled Department.

If Howell is actually appointed Assistant Chief in Hartford, only time will tell if "ruffling feathers" will be an appreciated and needed skill for his career survival here. Apparently, Howell may not currently be a certified Police Officer and may require some additional training to re-gain his certification.

No confirmation from HPD on this yet.

Sunday, August 16, 2020

HARTFORD'S POSTERBOY FOR INCOMPETENCE, INEFFICIENCY AND HYPOCRISY




Last night, or more precisely, early this morning, numerous vehicles were vandalized and spray painted with the letters "BLM" in the rear parking lot for the Hartford Police Department. This vandalism included HPD vehicles as well as Officer's personal vehicles. I am not going to get into all  of the details of the incident, but apparently a 17 year old has been arrested in the incident.

More troubling to me is more the issue of how it happened. How was a 17 year old able to get into a supposedly secure are and vandalize vehicles for an extended period. Operating undetected in front of a Police Department facility that I would hope we all thought was safe.

Well as it turns out, most of our driveways are about as safe, or safer. than the Hartford Police Parking area. The lot is supposed to be secured by chain link fence metal gates that are opened and closed by a key card access control system. Apparently those gates have been broken for months and no one was concerned enough to make the calls to get them fixed. As well as security cameras to cover the area. A 12 foot high fence covers the back are along the railroad tracks

Those broken gates allowed anyone that wanted to walk in or drive into the supposedly "secure" area. Did no one notice they were broken. Did no supervisor or member of the command staff look out the window or drive by and maybe say to themselves "hmmm. I wonder why the secure gates are always open?"

What about the Deputy Chief whose job and responsibility it is to maintain the building? Where was he? Too busy buffing the chrome trailer hitch on his prized Bomb Squad truck? This is inexcusable. If someone is making over $130,000 to do a job and he doesn't do that job, then it is the Police Chief's job to hold him accountable, and that doesn't usually happen at HPD. The only people held accountable are the low men and women on the totem pole ( is that analogy politically incorrect now a days?) The higher ups are never touched.

Thody has no trouble coming down on the little people, but if you're one of his boys with a take home Tahoe, you're all set.

For years, ever since 253 High Street opened as the new Public Safety Headquarters, the Command Staff had a fenced in deck on the second level of the parking garage. Very secure, well maintained, properly plowed in the winter. The rank and file, the little people of HPD, mostly patrol officers, have had to park in a dirt lot across from the front entrance. An unsecured dirt lot, no gates no direct cameras except what is on the front of 253 High Street, complete with ankle busting pot holes and hazards. Many Officer's cars have been broken into in that lot.

But who cares as long as the Chief and the Command Staff can park comfortably in their secure parking area.

As an issue of Officer safety, the gates need to be repaired immediately, the rear lot should be cleared  of any unnecessary vehicles and space should be made for Hartford Police Officers to be able to park their personal vehicles securely while working. There is room to accommodate that and it should be done ASAP and those responsible for failing to maintain the facility need to be held accountable.

Much of the "junk" that occupies space behind 253 High Street could very easily be moved to 40 or 50 Jennings Road to free up space

The safety and well being of our Police Officers, if we really appreciate them, requires nothing less. Again, it is an officer safety issue
 

Thursday, July 16, 2020

CONNECTICUT'S POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BILL DRAFT

I have received numerous calls about the proposed Police Accountability Law  for Connecticut's Police Officers. The link to the bill on CT.GOV has been disabled so I am posting a PDF of the draft here.
 I haven't read the entire bill yet, so I will reserve my comments until I can digest it. Feel free to comment below

Monday, July 13, 2020

WHERE IS THE THODY ACCIDENT REPORT?


"Now what?"


 I think anyone who has ever had to put a claim through for repairs after an auto accident knows that the first thing  any insurance company will ask for is the Police Report and case number.
So where is the accident report for the recent crash and repairs to the City of Hartford's 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe assigned to Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody.

So where is Thody's accident report, commonly called a PR-1 by Police.
The short and concise answer from the Connecticut State Police in their e-mail below was received pursuant to my request for a copy of the CSP accident report, it doesn't exist.

From the e-mail: "Please understand that there was no investigation into a motor vehicle collision because an accident was not reported to the State Police; therefore  there is no report that we are able to provide you"

Let me ask a hypothetical question here, since CSP said there is no report and we know according to the Hartford COO Thea Montanez that the insurance Company paid a claim for over $3300.00 what documentation was submitted to validate the accident or is there a possibility that a phony report was submitted as part of a wider coverup?

Montanez  and Thody had initially claimed that the damage was under $1,000.00 so no report was required. So in my best Maury Povich voice I have to say "That was a lie". Damage exceeded $3300.00

These questions need to be answered, and answered truthfully for a change.

Lets start with the phone records verifying Thody's call to Montanez immediately after the crash as he claims and lets see the insurance documentation .
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