Hamden leaders talk public safety amid police shortage, crime

HAMDEN — Traffic, violence intervention program, crimes and police staffing level: these were some of the topics discussed Thursday night at a special meeting that left many residents feeling better informed.

“I want people to feel safe in this town,” Mayor Lauren Garrett said.

Town officials, state legislators and a federal prosecutor introduced initiatives they’re working on to address public safety concerns in town with a focus on investing in the youths and intervention programs for juveniles, among others.

The panel came with a backdrop of the rise in property crimes, a slight decrease in violent crimes, the highest number of homicides in the past five years and 11 non-fatal shootings in 2022.

Wilton Hardy, a Hamden resident, said he was concerned about crime, but after the meeting, said, “I believe when we all come together and work together and discuss problems together and try to work on solving the problems, it can be fixed. That’s the key.”

When it comes to juvenile crimes, state Sen. Douglas McCrory, DHartford, shed light on the “school to prison pipeline,” saying public school systems usually criminalize behaviors of young students of color. He called for more diverse hiring for teachers, especially Black men.

“All of our children learn better when they’re taught by” teachers who look like them,” he said. “If a Black child has one Black teacher in elementary school, they’re highly likely to … exceed everyone else.”

McCrory said some kids need to be removed from the system, but need to be taught and given proper support and a “fighting chance” after they return to the community.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa Avery said some of her department’s programs will be implemented in Hamden, including “FED-UP,” which was designed to address gun violence, and opioid awareness initiatives where overdose victims speak to students at different schools.

The Rev. Jack Perkins Davidson, a Hamden resident, said he appreciated the diverse perspectives brought to the table especially on how race and racism structurally affect crimes.

Davidson said he’s concerned and interested in the search for a new police chief and the possibility of creating an unarmed, nonpolice crisis response team, something not discussed at the panel.

“I wish we had a little bit more time to dig into some more alternative ideas and models around public safety,” he said. “I was really interested in learning more about ways that we can connect people to the treatment that they need rather than taking punitive measures.”

The Hamden Police Department has 76 officers, “a low number,” when 103 positions were budgeted, according to acting Chief Timothy Wydra.

“It’s challenging right now nationwide, Connecticut and Hamden,” Wydra said of recruiting police officers.

What the department is doing for public safety includes data-driven initiatives to find crime hotspots, sharing information with different law enforcement partner agencies and creating a new intelligence unit.

The chief said he will “put officers in areas where violent crimes have happened” because “people are much less likely to commit a crime when they see police officers.”

With an uptick in gun violence, Wydra said the department also worked with gun violence prevention groups to teach young people about consequences of using a gun.

Garrett said the town has signed a contract with Clifford Beers Community Care Center, in which will go into the community after a trauma.

She said the town also signed onto a national lawsuit concerning opioid addiction, in which it will get about $100,000 a year for 17 years, emphasizing “we have the money that we can put out in the community” for opioid programs.

When it comes to traffic, Garrett and state Sen. Jorge Cabrera, D-Hamden, said a bill will be offered to fund road measures for Whitney and Dixwell avenues to combat speeding drivers and car accidents. The town decoupled traffic engineering from the police department to the engineering department.

For residents who wonder if it’s safe to shop in Hamden, the mayor said yes.

“Statistically, you’re safe shopping at our plazas and going to our stores,” she said. “If there’s a rhetoric out there telling you to go somewhere else, that’s a really negative view of Hamden.”