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Hartford is interviewing for a new police chief. Residents want someone with ties to the city

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Tyler Russell
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Connecticut Public
Speakers at a recent summit hosted by the North Hartford Public Safety Coalition said they want the city’s next chief of police to be a person of color who’s either from Hartford or has deep ties to the city.

The Hartford community is speaking out about what they want in a new police chief.

Residents packed the room Tuesday night at a summit hosted by the North Hartford Public Safety Coalition, which has released a new report based on community input into the search.

Pastor A.J. Johnson of Urban Hope Refuge Church opened the night by recounting recent acts of violence in Hartford, including a quadruple shooting last week and a funeral shooting at a church.

“These are not isolated tragedies,” Johnson said. “They are connected by a system that has failed to value Black and brown lives.”

Speakers at the event said they want the city’s next chief of police to be a person of color who’s either from Hartford or has deep ties to the city. They want the chief to address violence with a sense of urgency while also creating a culture of trust, accessibility, and community-oriented decision making.

“The next chief should have a demonstrated commitment to racial justice and the ability to connect across Hartford’s diverse communities,” said Kerri-Kay Allen of Hartford City Mission. “Collaborative leadership – we need someone who values partnership with youths, elders, faith leaders, neighborhood groups, schools and local organizations.”

A safer place to raise children

Shina Singh with the nonprofit Hartford Communities That Care helped compile the report from the input of more than 140 community members.

“Residents want a safer neighborhood where children can play freely, elders feel protected, trust is restored through better response times and accountability,” Singh said.

Hartford mother Rose Rivera said she hopes the next chief can help create a safer city for her and her children. She said she lives in a constant state of hypervigilance for her children’s safety, and longs for a community where that’s not necessary.

“Being able to not worry about what it looks like when they go to the park or their own corner store,” Rivera said. “Being able to say, ‘Oh, shoot, I forgot the eggs for this meal – can you go get them?’ And not me having to jump in the car because I don’t want to be what put their lives at risk.”

Rivera also highlighted the problem of long response times – or no police response at all. She said no officers responded to her home when she called after it was struck by gunfire, narrowly missing her son.

“The bullet went about three inches over his head,” she said. “And when I think about that, I think about how a call to the department did not lead police officers to my doorstep and did not give [my children] the security to feel that somebody came and saved us – it was only mommy. Only mommy saved them.”

“What makes my son, my 10-year-old son, feel safe, unfortunately, is that mommy went out and got a gun license, and that should have never been,” Rivera said.

Next steps in the long search for a chief

The search comes after the previous nominee for chief, Philadelphia Police Capt. Tyrell McCoy, abruptly withdrew in February, after which allegations of sexual harassment came to light.

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam attended the introductory part of the summit and briefly addressed the crowd.

“City Hall is listening,” Arulampalam said. “We want to work with you, and we want to be held accountable by you, and we appreciate what you are doing here.”

Arulampalam said interviews were currently underway for the position, with a finalist likely to be announced in July.

The mayor said the finalist would be announced to the community for input before formally being submitted to the City Council.

“We want to hear your voice,” Arulampalam said. “We want to hear your feedback.”

Rev. Samuel Blanks of Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church closed the evening with a call to action.

“Hartford has community,” Blanks said. “It has people that are invested and involved and engaged. And so as we leave this place tonight and return back to the busyness of our lives, let’s not forget to stay involved, to stay engaged, to stay informed, and to continue to build community.”

Arunan Arulampalam's father-in-law is Gregory B. Butler, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of Connecticut Public.

Chris Polansky joined Connecticut Public in March 2023 as a general assignment and breaking news reporter based in Hartford. Previously, he’s worked at Utah Public Radio in Logan, Utah, as a general assignment reporter; Lehigh Valley Public Media in Bethlehem, Pa., as an anchor and producer for All Things Considered; and at Public Radio Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla., where he both reported and hosted Morning Edition.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.