New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Town backs police response on Main Street
EAST HAVEN — In the aftermath of a late night fight that erupted into gunfire in the rear of a bar, town officials said police have a good grasp on maintaining the safety of East Haven's business corridor.
East Haven police report that an officer working detail heard several gun shots Sunday morning at Rumba Café on Main Street. Police reported that a large crowd was dispersing while numerous fights occurred in the bar. No victims were reported on scene and officers identified two New Haven men as suspects who were arrested, police said
The bar's liquor license was subsequently suspended, as Deputy Police Chief Patrick Tracy detailed in a letter to the state and the bar poses an “immediate danger” to its customers, the surrounding businesses, pedestrians and vehicular traffic.
When asked whether the town would take any legislative efforts to impose more regulations on businesses or energize the local business community to self-regulate, town officials said they support police taking the lead on enforcement.
“Mayor (Joseph) Carfora and our chiefs consistently meet to discuss a wide array of topics,” said Ed Sabatino, assistant director of administration and management and human resources director. “Regarding the current matter, Mayor Carfora supports police leadership decisions that ensure a consistent police presence in bar areas during closing hours.”
East Haven police spokesman Capt. Joseph Murgo said the department's “proactive” policing has been effective at maintaining public safety.
“The last few significant cases we investigated were initiated by officers working proactive details,” Murgo said in an emailed statement. “Their presence in the area of Rumba's Cafe gave us an opportunity to direct resources to where we needed them quickly, which helped us identify and arrest the people involved in the physical altercation that led to shots being fired.”
Murgo said a separate investigation that led to two arrests this week in connection to the theft of a vehicle from an East Haven car dealership which entailed surveillance of a New Britain residence is another example of the department's proactive approach to investigations.
“As the weather continues to get warmer, we will re-evaluate our response to crime and adjust as necessary the resources deployed to address these concerns,” he said. “We also realize that conversations around the dinner table focus on the feeling of feeling safe. And feeling safe is more important than any bits of data available. To that end, we are committed to being as visible as we can be during the times it matters the most.”
In his letter to the state calling for the suspension of Rumba Café's liquor license, Tracey said an occupied vehicle and a window at a nearby McDonald's were struck by gunfire during a 2021 incident.
However, at least one local business owner said that the fights are an unfortunate aspect of running a bar that cannot be independently controlled by ownership. Maly Ortiz, who owns and operates Maly's Hair Salon in the same retail plaza as Rumba Café, said she knows the owners as upstanding business people who are supportive of local business.
“The owners are really, really nice people with good morals,” she said.
Ortiz said she knows the bar employs security so they take seriously attempts to deescalate violence and she has found them to be supportive neighbors and friends for the last 13 years on Main Street.
“They are really good people just running a business,” she said.
Ortiz said she does not believe the weekend shooting has any impact on local business, as customers of businesses that are open during traditional business hours don't overlap with nightlife operations.