New Haven Independent

Posted by: cedarhillresident | August 2, 2007 12:22 PM

"I don't like gimmicks," Ortiz said. "I want meaningful [initiatives] that can be sustained."

hmmm so is that a promise??? Because right now we have alot of fluff in the city and no action! How about while we are waiting for this program we arrest the dealers we have?? How about we park right were they are dealing and let them know get out of New Haven?? Just a thought.

But I do like the IDEA of this program

Posted by: charlie | August 2, 2007 12:47 PM

Hopefully by "long prison time for the top" they mean at least 30 years no parole for any offenses that actually hurt or injured another person, e.g., a robbery or shooting. No use bringing these psycopaths back to society until they are old, crippled men.

Posted by: Esbe | August 2, 2007 3:17 PM

The High Point program relies on a huge degree of trust between the police and the law-abiding residents of poor neighborhoods. The Grandmas, the Mothers and the neighbors all have to sign on for it to work. But that kind of trust is exactly what Ortiz threw out the window when he cut back on beat cops and replaced them with the para-military style ID-NET raids on neighborhoods.

There is a long way to go before we get to High Point.

Posted by: In the Hood | August 2, 2007 6:24 PM

New Haven had an excellent model of community based policing under Nick Pastore. How is it possible that we have completely lost that model and why is it so hard to revive?

Community based policing is a systemic principle that requires consistent engagement with all aspects of the community. Not just showing up when there is problem or hot topic, but seriously connecting with the community at every possible opportunity.

This police administration has not convinced anyone that it believes in such a principle. The evidence of this is that the once dynamic community based policing program that made this city a national model just a few years ago has been dismantled.

EMBARRASSING!

Posted by: TGunn | August 2, 2007 7:00 PM

Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought the New Haven Community Policing Program was a model progarm about 8 years ago. Now we have to go to another community to get help. Please, if anyone has insight into this help me out.

Posted by: KAM B | August 3, 2007 7:37 AM

Hey ESBE,
What are you talking about with the ID-NET style raids? ID-NET didnot do any raids.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | August 3, 2007 8:13 AM

Esbe

You are right....we at least were I live have a "why bother" attitude about the police. They need to show these communitys now...that they are there. What is it for officer to get out of there cars and do a walk around.

Posted by: Been Called Worse | August 3, 2007 8:50 AM

My first time reading of High Point's program was the link to WSJ in this article. Very interesting stuff indeed, and nothing that New Haven is incapable of implementing. Without a doubt it would take a redirection of resources as well as recommitting to the community policing philosophy which has sadly been all but abandoned by the current administration.

Emulating High Point's success stands a chance of working as long as the initiative is used to work towards the end result of reducing violence and removing illegal firearms from the streets. This requires a top-down embrace of the changes needs to make this work. Lip service and posturing for a press conference (all too common with the police administration) without the follow through needed will hamper the effectivness of implementing High Point's model.

It will be difficult for the PD to change direction from their current course given the day to day constraints that the common rank and file contend with, and the only chance of success comes from clear and effective leadership from the top. All cynicism aside, I hope Oritz can rise to the challenge.

Posted by: WEBbloger 1 | August 3, 2007 2:33 PM

Sorry Chief, but the answers to drug and violent crimes in New haven does not lay in High Point N.C. The answers are here in New Haven. As a chief who was born of Community Policing in the era of the 1990's, became captain, than chief, you should well know that the best answers are found not from the Mayor, but within your staff. The sgt's and patrol officers, including union president Cavellier, who have been doing this for years can put a plan on the table and guarantee success. The central problem is that you have not attempted a take down of the major distributors in this area since you became chief. You now are saying that you cannot arrest your way out of the problem, that begs the question, WHY more cops?

The fact is that until you are willing remove your shackles and attack this problem head on, using a New Haven based plan, you will constantly be making street level bust of kid drugies and having the prosecutors release them to their grandmas for recycling.

Posted by: veryconcernedcitizen | August 3, 2007 8:04 PM

Oh dear me....hasn't there been programs just like this where the cops made LOTS of money from it? Grant money? Lots of overtime grant money? ! Let's just replicate this failed effort so the Chief can put his name on yet another failure?

You need community back up for this. From what I see.....there is none! Bring back Community Policing. Dont you get it? Because you didnt create it doesnt mean you have to abolish it, does it?. Are the EGOs too big?!?!?!?!?!?

Community policing is the best effort for this city.

Posted by: KAM B | August 4, 2007 4:22 PM

Well said Webblogger 1. Thahs the entire problem in a nutt shell.

Posted by: Bill Saunders | August 6, 2007 8:19 PM

Last I checked, there are 10 underutilized police substations out there in the community (from the Pastore era), waiting for the reinvention of a some missing wheel.

This means a sight bit more than the ole "Commitment to Community Policing" slogans emblazoned on the sides our new cruisers.

It seems that Chief Ortiz is a classic band-aid micromanager, out of touch the needs of the community, bent on twisting the numbers to his advantage, rather than using that information to develop some real strategies to deal with his departments recognized shortcomings.

Posted by: Been Called Worse | August 6, 2007 11:13 PM

The problem is that no matter how you twist the numbers, they are not advantageous... when you can find them.

Looking at the PD's website, Crime Trends & Dept Demographics trail off in 2003, their budget info stops in 2001. Why the three year gap from 2001 to 2005 in Crime Statistics? And for the 2005 & 2006 stats, how hard could it be to give a year total instead of just month by month numbers? Hats off to this site & newhavencrimelog.com for giving citizens comprehensible numbers to run with.

And really thats where any community policing effort needs to start - with the community. Why doesnt the PD publish this data? I don't necessarily think they are trying to hide crime data from us. It's just overlooked because its been neglected - maintaining that dialoge with residents. Then when something like the Billy White Scandal erupts, or Rabbi Greer's refusal to lay docile after being victimized occurs, the face-time citizens recieve with the Chief et al is just damage control and meetings never seem to end with actionable items or follow ups.

Posted by: Bill Saunders | August 7, 2007 5:42 PM

I think there are other valuable metrics, in addition to the crime statistics, which could be useful to the department in rebuilding its bridge to the community, like response time and average phone queues.

Also, what is up with the Yale Police Department? Are their crime statistics included in NHPD stats, or is it just another level of obfuscation. In all of the 'staffing' ballyhoo, I never hear YPD mentioned, but I see them on our streets an awful lot.