Inspector general has city support
Police union has called for his resignation, saying he has unfairly pressed misconduct investigations
The city police union is accusing Hartford’s Inspector General Liam Brennan of undermining support for the department by unfairly pressing misconduct investigations against police personnel, but Brennan continues to enjoy the support of the city administration.
As Hartford inspector general, Brennan has broad powers to initiate investigations of police misconduct and act on citizen complaints. He reports to the city’s Civilian Police Review Board, which submits its findings to the chief of police for discipline.
Newly elected Hartford Police Union President James Rutkauski is calling for Brennan’s resignation, complaining that he has eroded support for the department by misrepresenting facts, the law and police policy in two recent investigations that called for officer discipline.
“I’m asking attorney Brennan to resign,” Rutkauski said Thursday. “The Hartford Police Union wants to continue with our community’s long tradition of mutual trust and respect. The police union does not support evaluating anyone on outdated standards, omitting critical information and then slandering them to the community.”
Brennan defended his work and said he has no plans to resign, but acknowledged his plans could change with his announcement earlier this week that he is launching a campaign to be elected mayor of New Haven, where he lives.
He promises, among other things, to reform police procedure and end the so-called War on Drugs in New Haven if elected.
“Everyone in New Haven deserves to be and feel safe,” Brennan’s campaign website says. “We can achieve safe streets on every block across our city, while ending outdated and ineffective practices that have disproportionately harmed Black and brown communities.”
Brennan has been aggressive since his appointment a year ago, eliminating a backlog of 170 complaints and investigating not only alleged officer misconduct but police procedure.
Mayor Luke Bronin and Eric Crawford, chairman of the Civilian Police Review Board, said Brennan notified them of his intention to run for mayor months ago. Both said they support his performance as inspector general and would like him to continue. But both said the campaign could cause plans to change.
“He has been aggressive, effective and successful,” Crawford said Thursday. “It would be a huge loss to the citizens of Hartford if he left.”
The union complaints are based on two presentations Brennan made to the Civilian Police Review Board in January.
In the first, a citizen complained that a police Emergency Response Team violated the rights of residents of an apartment building by conducting a “protective sweep” of the entire building prior to serving a search warrant on a second floor resident who was believed to be armed.
Rutkauski said Brennan failed to tell the board that “the threat/ risk level was the reason the Hartford Police (Emergency Response Team) was deployed.”
“Based on Attorney Brennan’s omission of critical facts and biased explanation of law to the five Civilian Police Review Board members, the five Civilian Police Review Board members voted without asking a single question to sustain alleged civil rights violations and other serious violations of law against Hartford Police (SWAT) members,” the union said.
In a second case, the union said Brennan used an outdated police standard and procedure guide when recommending civil rights and other violations against an individual officer for use of excessive force.
The union and others have complained that officers have not been notified of hearings on their alleged misconduct, losing opportunities to appear and defend themselves.
Brennan and Crawford said the investigations and hearings were proper.