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KillianforMayor

363MainStreet|Hartford,CT06106
Office:(860)5601977|Cell:(860)7982064|www.killianformayor.com

The serious outbreak of violence in Hartford demands a serious response. While it is


appropriate to criticize Mayor Segarra and City Council members for what we believe were
poor past decisions concerning public safety issues, it is unfair to vilify them as heartless
individuals who dont care about our city or its residents. If we are to successfully address this
crisis, we must rally a unified community response and not treat lawlessness as an issue for
assessing blame, particularly in a political year.
Churches, schools, community organizations, the state, social service organizations,
mental health service providers, elected officials, probation officers, and our general population
must all be stakeholders in this coalition. We must speak loudly and in public as we assess the
problem and develop a solution. We must be prepared to commit ourselves and public
resources to the long haul effort and not just a show until things, God willing, eventually quiet
down.
Here is the rub: when gunfire or violence of any kind erupts, our first call is not to a
priest, social worker or elected official. Inevitably, it's to a cop. Our police are destined to be
our first line of defense, our first responders to violence, and the pivotal institution in making
things better.
If there is a flaw in recent management of city affairs, it is the fact that we, as a city,
ignored the experts who told us Hartford needs a full time police force of 470 sworn officers.
We now have about 400. We have ignored the fact that we have almost 75 officers who will be
eligible for retirement in the coming months and have neglected to start a new recruit class and
have rejected 17 approved candidates for lateral hires from other police departments who
could have received enhanced training and been on the job quicker than brand new recruits.
We have eviscerated our community policing effort. Just weeks after Hartford was one of ten
cities nationwide praised by the Obama administration for significant progress made on
community policing, we transferred all walk beats (but City Hall) back to patrol duties.
All these decisions were made for budgetary expedience. But budgets are about choices
and most of these can be categorized as bad choices. Fortunately, weve taken baby steps to
re-deploy our community service officers, a step I applaud, but one which also decreases the
already dangerously low number of officers available for patrol duties.
So here we are, June 6, 2015 with all too frequent outbursts of violence which all too
frequently results in lethal consequence. Our efforts at developing a total community response
was stymied by a misguided closed door effort, leaving most of our public shut out of the
dialogue to seek resolution the violence, the self same public forced all too often bear witness
to the violence that plagues our neighborhoods.

PaidforbyKillianforMayor.FrankBarrows,Treasurer.ApprovedbyRobertKillianJr.


KillianforMayor
363MainStreet|Hartford,CT06106
Office:(860)5601977|Cell:(860)7982064|www.killianformayor.com

So how do we begin to develop a proper response?


1. We should attend Saturdays Concerned
Pastors of Greater Hartford Stop the
Violence and Cease the Killing March and Action Rally.
After several false starts, this may be

the rally that brings all of us together. God knows, we need a unified, non-political response to
the horrors of recent weeks. This is an opportunity for all the stakeholders to put aside political
differences, personalities, or past animus in order to fashion a joint, reasoned response to a
challenge that has engulfed and enraged us all. May we all understand that finger pointing is
inappropriate; criticism no matter how deserved is not an avenue to recovery; and that without
unity there will be no effective response. Thank you Pastors for making it clear that all are
invited; none are excluded. Dont let the rally devolve into purposeless name calling. Stop any
speakers who try to do so. Make this rally an instrument of the Almightys peace.
I look forward to walk with my wife, Candace, other candidates, the Pastors, police officials, the
Mayor & elected officials, and concerned residents as we start the healing.
2. Lets make it clear that our community doesnt fear appropriate levels of police
protection, we welcome it. Let us do all we can to encourage our citys leadersthe current
onesto reconsider recent decisions that will not increase our cops on the street for at best
nine months to a year. Here are specifics:
Adjust the city budget from twenty new officers to make it a class of forty.
It takes
several months for our internal resources to do background checks, so ask Governor
Molloy to require the state police to assist in an expedited process to see if we can
reduce the background check time so that at least twenty of the forty could start a class
in three to four months. The balance would participate in a second class as soon as
cleared and the training officials can recycle.
Free up 10 or more police officers from booking duty.
Direct the citys human resources
department to immediately begin the process of looking for civilians to man the booking
operation, under the supervision of sworn officers. This is a needed change, wisely
approved by the City Council, but administrative delays have prevented its
implementation. Hartford officials, tell us why this couldnt be done. This change could
free up ten or more officers by shifting appropriate duties to civilians and could also
produce cost savings.
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Authorize continuous recruitment in anticipation of retirements.
Every year, officers

PaidforbyKillianforMayor.FrankBarrows,Treasurer.ApprovedbyRobertKillianJr.


KillianforMayor
363MainStreet|Hartford,CT06106
Office:(860)5601977|Cell:(860)7982064|www.killianformayor.com

retire. Without a doubt police department leadership could estimate with remarkable
accuracy, the number of police from among those who are eligible for retirement who
will likely submit retirement papers. The Council and Mayor should authorize
continuous recruitment in anticipation of a class of not less than twenty officers (and
more if needed). This should allow us to prevent a situation where we would not find
ourselves way below the hiring necessity. It should also allow us to recruit in a fashion
that will enhance our ability to ensure classes that reflect our citys diversity.
Revive the effort to secure lateral hires of sworn officers from other police
departments to put more than a dozen new police officers on the ground
immediately.
Very few of our neighboring towns have been reluctant to hire senior
officers from the staff of our force and our retirees. But many of these towns, noting the
career success of our excellent officers, are desirous of joining our departments ranks,
aware, in the words of the famous song, if you can make it here, you can make it
anywhere! I understand a recent group of over fifteen such officers were proposed
for lateral hire by the department they would receive appropriate re- training and
deployment here. City Hall rejected plan for a bona fide concern: the proposed lateral
hires werent as reflective of the citys diversity as we would like. But given our current
crisis, I believe most city residents, while applauding the determination to improve the
departments diversity, are immediately concerned with seeing the color blue in their
neighborhood.
Make better use of State Police resources
. While I appreciate past willingness of
Governors to assign State Police to Hartford patrol duties, I think better use of these
valued services could be made so that we put more of our cops, knowledgeable of the
city, its problem areas and citizenry, on the streets patrolling by relieving them of duties
that dont require special city knowledge. Specifically, could they help in the booking
process, prisoner transport to hospitals, lock-up responsibilities and the like? Could
Correctional officers fill some of these duties for a four month period? These require
trained officers, but not the same degree of local knowledge.

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Ask Police Union to waive rules and allow State Police partnership for a period of four

PaidforbyKillianforMayor.FrankBarrows,Treasurer.ApprovedbyRobertKillianJr.


KillianforMayor
363MainStreet|Hartford,CT06106
Office:(860)5601977|Cell:(860)7982064|www.killianformayor.com

months.
Despite my preference on use of state policeone I believe the police may
sharewe will be several months before significant numbers of new officers could hit
the streets. That could require major overtime for our existing cadre. While time and a
half or in some instances double time, is troublesome for a city thats broke, it also is
dangerous for overworked and under-rested officers asked to perform a task that
requires the highest degree of mental and physical acuity. We have to ask for assistance
from the state police for patrol duty. Lets ask the police union to waive existing rules
for a period of four months, which impose what amounts to a financial penalty anytime
a city officer is paired with a state trooper. I recognize our shortage of officers is not
occasioned by any impediments from the Departments hierarchy or the union. But if
we are calling on all in the city to come together, I hope, while the city makes good on
its promise to maintain an adequately staffed police force, all stakeholders will chip in.
3. Finally, once we develop a planwhether or not it incorporates any of my
thoughtslets pledge to not abandon it until we are satisfied that we have a better plan.
Weve peered into the abyss before, only to quietly forget our mission when the tide of terror
recedes. Freedom from fear of violence should be a fundamental right and an important
component of our sense of liberty. Hartfords small. A gunshot on Barbour Street echoes
throughout our compact city. As we gather at tomorrows rally and hopefully future
neighborhood work sessions to develop and implement the plan. Let us promise to extend our
commitment beyond the date, hopefully soon, when the last gunshot is heard.

PaidforbyKillianforMayor.FrankBarrows,Treasurer.ApprovedbyRobertKillianJr.

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