New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
City sets focus on gun seizures, traffic safety
New Haven police seize 6 guns in a week, 157 this year
NEW HAVEN — City police seized six guns in the last week, one of which was a “ghost gun,” according to the chief.
Interim Chief Renee Dominguez said Wednesday the department has seized 157 guns so far this year, with 153 associated arrests, as compared to 109 guns seized and 123 arrests at this point last year.
The guns were seized mostly by pa
trol officers, Dominguez said. One was a “ghost gun,” she noted — a firearm considered untraceable. Five of the incidents prompted arrests, she said.
“The work is being done,” Dominguez said. “Our patrol officers are out there being proactive and getting guns off the street.”
There also were 11 incidents of shots fired since last Monday, the day the previous briefing on city efforts to combat gun violence and other policing issues was held, Dominguez said. There also were two nonfatal shootings since last Monday, she said.
The briefing this week also focused on traffic safety, police hiring and an alleged carjacking.
Mayor Justin Elicker this summer had called for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to approve proposed regulations on “ghost guns,” saying that the untraceable firearms make it more difficult to safeguard residents from gun violence.
New Haven police had at that point seized six such firearms: two in 2020 and four by that time in 2021, officials said.
“As New Haven — like many other cities across the United States — faces a recent, dramatic rise in gun violence, it is imperative that we do everything in our power to protect the safety and wellbeing of our residents,” Elicker said in the summer letter to the ATF.
Seizures; arrests
The first gun seizure in the past week was Oct. 5, after police were called just before 10 a.m. to the intersection of Columbus Avenue and West
Street, Dominguez said.
A city man with an outstanding warrant fled from police, then was caught, Dominguez said. Officers allegedly found a stolen Smith & Wesson revolver.
The second, a Ruger .40caliber handgun, allegedly was seized after a car crash on Oct. 7 near the intersection of Ellsworth Avenue and Goffe Street, Dominguez said.
Two more were seized on
Oct. 8, Dominguez said. Soon after 1 a.m., three officers responded to a report of shots fired on State Street, Dominguez said. After finding an individual matching a description given to police, police stopped him, allegedly finding a Beretta stolen from Virginia.
Later on Oct. 8, soon after 10 p.m., police found a 19-year-old man who allegedly was carrying a loaded 9 mm gun at a
Fair Haven bar, Dominguez said.
Then, soon after 1 a.m. on Oct. 9, a man was stopped after a trespassing complaint and allegedly was found with a firearm. Officials had sought his presence at the most recent call-in by Project Longevity, Dominguez noted, but he had not shown up.
The sixth, a firearm reported stolen out of West Haven, allegedly was found in an open garage on Clinton Avenue Oct. 10 after a report of gunfire in the area, Dominguez said. That matter remains under investigation.
Dominguez said Wednesday that two men were arrested in the past week in accordance with past incidents of shots fired, one on Sept. 3 in the Dixwell Plaza, the other from Sept. 6, 2020, on Bassett Street.
Traffic safety
Eight pedestrians have been killed in crashes to date this year and city officials said they also are working on steps to improve traffic safety.
Dominguez said there have been 15 fatalities so far this year in crashes, and that includes eight pedestrians. In the most recent incident, a man was killed in a crash involving a motorcycle near Norton and Stanley streets Friday.
Elicker underscored the weight of the loss of life Wednesday, as he and Dominguez held their weekly briefing.
“This is a loss of life, just like a homicide is, in our community. And I believe both homicides and pedestrian and other vehicle-related fatalities due to crashes can be prevented,” said Elicker. “I called the family of the individual that was lost, similar to homicides, and it’s devastating for that family.”
The city is working toward infrastructure improvements on problem streets, including Whalley Avenue, Ella T. Grasso Boulevard and Foxon Boulevard, he said.
Elicker said he and Dominguez had also discussed increasing traffic enforcement beyond special details, ensuring officers are engaged in the practice while not responding to other calls.
Dominguez noted that, as of Oct. 1, motorists were required under state law to yield to pedestrians who signal to traffic and cross the road, even if they are not yet walking in a crosswalk.
“We have done a lot of work in New Haven to be able to try to reduce the number” of crashes, said Dominguez.
Recruitment drive
As of the end of the day Tuesday, the department had received 330 applications to join the force, Dominguez said.
The deadline to submit an application has been extended until Oct. 22, she said, as the department strives to bring in more than 500 potential candidates. Last year it garnered 489, she said.
“That’s an attainable goal. A lot of people wait to the end — you need to get your birth certificate, you need to get some documents you can’t find,” said Dominguez. “That last week, we usually do get a push.”
Dominguez previously said the department has 319 officers on staff, but is budgeted for 406 positions.
Those interested in applying can do so by visiting the department or through PoliceApp.com.
Carjacking
Dominguez and Jacobson said an individual carjacked a vehicle in New Haven Tuesday, then, after crashing near Sargent Drive, walked onto Interstate 95 and carjacked an 18-wheeler soon after 5 p.m., closing the highway for a time.
The individual was arrested by state police after a retired New Haven police officer, stuck in traffic, got out of his vehicle to provide assistance, Jacobson said.