Mayor Pedro Segarra has called on the state for more resources.
Recent violence in the city of Hartford left five people dead in the month of May alone, and Mayor Pedro Segarra is dealing with a problem of both public safety and politics.
The numbers are unsettling. Last month, four people died by gunfire and one in a stabbing. That makes 12 murders so far this year -- a number higher than last year, but not as high as the 17 murders by this time in 2011. Still, the violence has continued. On Saturday, a victim was shot in the abdomen and face; two others were shot on Sunday. And on Monday, a man was shot in the head.
Segarra has called on the state for more resources.
"I've been working with the delegation and we've been discussing the past couple of weeks strategies or ways to get the money restored to our budget," Segarra said.
But he's apparently not yet spoken to the office of Governor Dannel Malloy.
"We have not received any formal requests from the Segarra administration regarding additional state aid to help with public safety in the City of Hartford," said Mark Bergman, communications director for Governor Dannel Malloy, who noted that Hartford got nearly $5 million from the state in funding for prevention, intervention, and enforcement over the past two years. "We obviously saw the press stories, but we haven't received a request of what specifically the Segarra administration would like in terms of state aid."
Police department staffing is an issue. Deputy Chief Brian Foley said the force has about 410 sworn officers -- down 70 or 80 from their ideal levels. There's a class of 19 officers in the academy now, but that's the first class in a few years.
"We've been able to fill our beats and patrols," Foley said. "But what we're losing is the same officers in the same neighborhoods with a good working knowledge of those neighborhoods now because we're forced to backfill with overtime."
Councilman Ken Kennedy said that tough budgets have made for tough decisions.
"I think there has been a budget concern to try to keep their staffing - I wouldn't say light, but within historic parameters," Kennedy said. "That may not cover all the pay raises that they're anticipating that are contractually given, but I think we're trying to balance all the different demands that we get."
Segarra said he understands the staffing concerns.
"Each and every year, my recollection is the request of the chief makes for the size of the class is much bigger, but we have to pair it down to what is allowable under the constraints of the budget," Segarra said.
But in addition to have a very real public safety issue, Segarra also has a political problem to deal with. While he's seen his share of controversies in the news since he took office, Segarra has celebrated the city's low rates of violent crime.
Now, though, he risks losing that issue on the eve of a highly contested race for his office. Challengers have not missed the opportunity to criticize the mayor at a vulnerable time. And neither has the press. In an editorial last week, The Hartford Courant said the mayor was absent on the issue. In response, the mayor's campaign director pushed back -- listing the times he was in the community addressing the violence and adding that Segarra was trying not to politicize the loss of life.
Nevertheless, Segarra is clearly trying to be more visible. He's being shadowed for two days by reporters working on his anti-violence efforts. And, on Wednesday, he's hosting what he's billing as "The Capital City's Rally for Peace and Progress" at playground in the city's North End. Meanwhile, he's just a week or so away from his next mayoral debate.
