Hartford is set to receive about $870,000 in state funding to sustain an initiative that dispatches unarmed civilians instead of police officers to certain 911 calls.
The new money was allocated through budget adjustments passed in early May. It will fund the program for another year or two, giving city officials a buffer as they search for ways to keep it running.
“It had been difficult to find funding sources for this,” Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said. “We are constantly trying to fill these holes to ensure that police aren't left alone in this fight for public safety.”
The alternative response program is meant to reduce the potential for violent encounters between police officers and people in distress. Similar initiatives have taken hold in communities throughout the nation, stemming from calls for policing reform after the police killing of George Floyd.
Trained professionals from the Hartford Emergency Assistance Response Team have been dispatched to more than 2,000 calls since 2022.
Connecticut Public previously reported the city scaled back the initiative last year by cutting the response team's hours. Federal COVID-19 dollars that funded the program dried up, putting pressure on city officials to figure out how to keep it from shuttering.
State Rep. Maryam Khan said she learned of the funding problems from that report. Community members also emphasized the need for the program in recent weeks after two fatal police shootings of Black men in Hartford.
On Feb. 19, a family member of 53-year-old Everard Walker called 211 to ask for help because Walker was experiencing a mental health crisis, according to a report released by the state’s inspector general. Two mental health professionals responding to Walker’s apartment asked police to accompany them to the call.
Officer Alexander Clifford fired several shots at Walker as Walker raised a knife at another officer who had fallen backwards, according to the inspector general, who is investigating that shooting. Walker later died at the hospital.
Eight days later, a Hartford police officer shot and fatally wounded 55-year-old Steven “Stevie” Jones.
A family member of Jones called police for assistance because Jones was having an acute mental health crisis, according to the inspector general. Several police officers responded and tried to persuade Jones to drop a knife he was carrying. Officer Joseph Magnano then arrived and shot Jones after instructing him to drop the weapon, the inspector general said.
The city has since fired Magnano.
Khan, a Democrat who represents parts of Hartford and Windsor, said the events spurred her to advocate for funding from the state budget.
“In order to make sure that in future cases we have better response outcomes, I thought it would be important to have this secured,” she said.
Gov. Ned Lamont still needs to sign off on the amended state budget. Khan's office said money for the program will come from the Office of Policy and Management through an account for municipal grants.
Arulampalam said he's working to secure more funding in the future. He said the city has asked members of Congress for assistance.
Editor’s note: Arunan Arulampalam's father-in-law is Gregory B. Butler, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of Connecticut Public.
