Second community town hall with police planned for Monday

STAMFORD — A second town hall-style event in which the public can speak to members of the Police Department, this one dubbed Cops and Hops, will be held at Third Place by Half Full Brewery on Monday from 6 to 8 p.m.

The session was the idea of Stamford resident Joseph Maddalone, 31. Two weeks ago, Maddalone went to the first town hall event with police held at La Perle Restaurant. That session included Police Chief Tim Shaw and Captain Diedrich Hohn; Maddalone thought it would be a good idea to have more events like it.

Maddalone didn’t know Half Full owner Conor Horrigan, had never even been to his brewery on Homestead Avenue or to the newly opened Third Place on Pacific Street. But he called him anyway and asked if he would host such an event.

“He jumped at the chance,” Maddalone said. “It was a one (call) and done.”

Horrigan said the event was “pulled out of thin air,” but it was just the type of community meeting that he had in mind when creating Third Place.

While Shaw will not be attending the Monday event, Hohn is bringing with him officers Adriana Molina and Silas Redd.

Molina was Stamford Police Officer of the year in 2015 and Redd has more than 30 years on the job and was given a community policing award by Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham in 2018.

Maddalone, who is a Long Island transplant running a start up consultancy, said he wants to help advance the cause of racial equality while also supporting police.

“I don’t think people should have to choose between the police and racial equality. I want to be in the process of progress. I want to be involved in that,” he said.

Hohn said officers welcome the chance to answer questions from the community.

“Having that rapport in the community and having conversations like these are a way to open the door to make the community better,” Hohn said.