Number of homicides decreasing

Police report 5 killings in first half of 2018, down from 13 in first half of 2017

BRIDGEPORT — Willie Nance just wanted to have a conversation.

He died at the age of 26, following hours of surgery on May 24 after being shot. Police Chief Armando Perez said he went to Asylum Street to talk to the people who allegedly shot his cousin in the Hollow the day before.

Nance’s cousin was shot in the knee and recovered.

But when Nance tried to talk to the people, Perez said, things took a bad turn and someone pulled out a gun. He said Nance pulled out his own weapon to defend himself.

“There was a shootout,” Perez said. Nance was taken to St. Vincent’s Medical Center.

Unlike his cousin, he did not recover.

Nance became the city’s fifth homicide victim of 2018.

But compared with last year’s numbers, 2018’s murder count is low.

Lack of manpower in 2017

By June 30, 2017, the city had seen 13 homicides. Over the next five days, there were four more.

Despite 2017 being one of the deadliest years in Bridgeport, the crime rate was down about 22 percent in 2017 from the prior year, Capt. Mark Straubel said.

“Last year, we had a lack of manpower in the Bridgeport Police Department,” Perez said, chalking that up as a possible reason for the high murder count, as well as more domestic violence incidents turning fatal.

Perez said the manpower issue is being resolved. A permanent recruit team travels throughout the state to find officers for the department, with an emphasis on Bridgeport residents.

“We have one class in the academy now,” with 15 officers, Perez said. And the department is working to recruit another class by the end of the year.

Since Jan. 1, five people have been murdered: Nance, Alfanso Anderson, Francine Nyanzanika, Eric “Fetti” Heard and Jawaun Green.

Three of the homicide victims in 2018 had some kind of criminal association, Perez said. Four of the deaths were by gunshot.

Perez said the department has strong leads in the first, second and fifth homicides — of Green, Heard and Nance, respectively. He said police have gotten warrants for those involved in the city’s fourth murder, that of Anderson. Only in Nyanzanika’s killing has there been an arrest — of her uncle.

Public help needed

One way the department works to lessen homicides is by reducing available weapons, Perez said.

Since the beginning of 2018, a team of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have taken more than 60 illegal guns off the city’s streets, Perez said. Among those firearms have been handguns, rifles, AR-15s, AK-47s and ghost guns.

Ghost guns are made through a legally purchased kit that allows the buyer to build a gun without any markings or serial number. Perez said the cost for the kits hovers in the $1,000 range. He said some will sell assembled ghost guns for a profit of several thousands of dollars.

“We work very hard to get these guns off the street,” Perez said. “We have some of the best guys out there, doing everything they can to keep the community safe.”

But police need the public’s help. Straubel said residents can know what’s going on more than the police do.

Despite that, the public tends not to call during shootings or after hearing shots fired.

“Only 20 percent of the time, the public calls,” Straubel said.

Perez and Straubel said the community should always report any crime, even if they think someone else will call.

“Help us help you,” Perez said.

Anyone who witnesses a crime can call 911 and ask to be an anonymous reporter. Callers can also use the department’s anonymous tip line at 203-576-8477.