Coleman shares plan for policing
Public safety proposal includes increasing number of officers
As part of an effort to stem gun violence in the city, Hartford mayoral candidate Eric Coleman on Monday presented his plan to increase the number of officers the Police Department has, put greater emphasis on community policing, and review certain aspects of the department, including recruitment, hiring, retention and promotion processes.
The announcement was made at Coleman’s headquarters on New Park Avenue, as a group of supporters came together holding signs Monday.
“I am proposing to increase the staffing levels of the department and deploy those additional officers in a non-traditional way,” Coleman said. “Those officers will perform roles such as youth service officers, school resource officers, mental health crisis intervention officers, and intelligence officers.”
Coleman said he would increase staffing levels at the HPD to between 500 to 600 officers on the force, with many required to have a social work background. The HPD currently has 383 officers on the force, according to Lt. Aaron Boisvert.
“I also think some review has to be taken to look into the recruitment, hiring, retention and promoting process of the Hartford Police Department,” Coleman said. “With a view towards critically examining the temperament of prospective police officers as well as trying to achieve the diversity that was contemplated by Cintron v. Vaughan.”
The 1973 consent decree required the Hartford police to develop “code of police conduct” and a new procedure for internal review of complaints against its officers, including interviewing all available witnesses. It also
restricted the use of firearms, mandated police to meet regularly with community groups and required the city of Hartford to “improve its affirmative action plan to recruit policemen in the appropriate labor market to reflect properly the minority community.”
The minority representation of the HPD is currently 45 African American officers, 85 Hispanic officers and 8 “other” minority demographics, according to Boisvert.
Coleman said that his proposed initiatives are aimed at increasing community policing and reestablishing a trust between citizens and officers on the street to reduce the city’s historic crime wave.
In 2022, there were 39 homicides in Hartford — the most the city has seen in nearly two decades.
“Community policing is important and necessary,” Coleman said.
“In my view this will also involve foot patrols on main commercial streets such as Albany, Wethersfield, Franklin, Park and others,” he said. “My proposal will also put some premium on police training such as mental health and other crisis intervention, use of force training, racial profiling and implicit bias training along with de-escalation techniques.”
These trainings would be given regularly and not just once when an officer is first hired. Along with the trainings, Coleman said he would like to see a new culture take root at the department.
The Courant left messages seeking comment for Hartford mayoral candidates Arunnan Arulampalam and Nick Lebron, and Mayor Luke Bronin, who is not seeking reelection.
The city and many organizations in Hartford work to stop violence here, investing federal and other dollars in programs. In one example, Hartford’s Peacebuilders program works with highrisk youth to stem violence. Compass Youth Collaborative, which has supported and mentored thousands of Hartford’s high-risk youth for more than 25 years, created Peacebuilders. In a recent forum, Mothers United Against Gun Violence met with the entire Hartford police homicide team and detectives with the Hartford Police Department’s Cold Case Unit and families that have faced violence.
An issue police and others have grappled with in the past year is, officials say, that many instances of gun violence in the city have been connected, targeted and group-related incidents. Police Chief Jason Thody has also said the department and police are working with other agencies such as the Department of Corrections, FBI, DEA and parole and probation officers to help bring those who engage in violence to justice.
Thody has said they are applying “a tremendous amount of pressure” to stop the cycle.
Along with the proposed changes to the police, Coleman also said he would like the city to boost its coordination and assistance with federal agencies, such as Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Drug Enforcement Agency to stop the flow of guns and drugs into the community while also providing young people with leadership development, character building, life skills and job training to promote their success.
“The stigma of conviction or incarceration must be removed,” Coleman said.”
Coleman supporters said his plan for the city is an important step in ensuring a reduction in violent crime.
“This is needed,” said Coleman supporter Everton Osbourne. “When you see violence on the streets around you, you know it’s needed.”
Osbourne said he is most happy with Coleman’s initiative to increase community policing trainings and change the mindset of the department.
“Our officers are guardians,” Osbourne said. “We need to help create a new mentality and a big part of that will be ongoing training. Not just one and done. But a consistent approach to community policing.”