New Haven Independent

Posted by: walt bradley | June 12, 2008 10:27 AM

Four homocides in five days ....
Great city we've got going here.
We're not even officially into summer yet, what's going to happen when thousands of unsupervised kids get out of scholl with nothing constructive to do?
What immediate course of action is the police department and administration taking?

Posted by: Don B | June 12, 2008 11:04 AM

How many killings can we expect this summer with an invisible mayor and no police chief and not a damned thing for the kids to do? I'd say the over /under for just the summer is twenty five, and we're already a fifth of the way there. It's like the crack wars of the early nineties all over again.
Guess what Destefano - I'M MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!!!

Posted by: ben | June 12, 2008 11:06 AM

He bit of someone's ear two hours earlier?
He murdered someone.

Why is the independent withholding a name?
Where's the photo?
Where's the description?

Posted by: king james v | June 12, 2008 12:23 PM

In just this past week we've had three senseless incidents where homicide was the final outcome.
A fight over a plate of food and a man is stabbed in the neck and killed, two guys in a strip club late at night get executed in a parking lot next door and nobody knows nothing, and an ear biting possibly pcp juiced homocidal wackjob kills a teen protecting his brother. Where were the community police on bikes, where are the patrols so prevelant on the streets housing yale folks, where in the hell is the mayor? AND let us not forget about a fifth gradere being run down on one of newe haven's busiest streets, and the driver gets away?
These aren't even the "normal" homocides we can expect in the next few months when the drug dealing teens will be out on the streets all night, the crackheads and bands of bicycle riding kids start their yearly summerlong robbery spees and the gangs start shooting at each other (and start hitting bystanders because they can't even shoot straight). We're in for a long hot violent summer and my elected officials are worried about park fees and 1 percent gas tax increases? are you freaking kidding me? Why is there anything ELSE in the news exept what New Haven is about to get into (violence)? Am i the only person worried for my safety and my wife's safety? Have we all become so self absorbed that we can't see this?
I put this responsiblilty on John Destefano and whoever it is running our police department. as much as i like to blame republicans, Bush and Rell didn't get us into this state of anarchy in new haven, HE did.

Posted by: -fairhavener- | June 12, 2008 12:35 PM

I knew this summer was going to be a bad one. I just had a house alarm installed about a month ago in preparation of all the summer ex-cons getting released and the kiddies getting out of school.

What's going to happen when all the convicts get released? It happens every summer and many of them come to New Haven. How many was it last year 1000+?

"We're not even officially into summer yet, what's going to happen when thousands of unsupervised kids get out of scholl with nothing constructive to do?"

Exactly. That is one of are biggest concerns as well. Two years ago those little punk kids broke into our house and came in to the room my pregnant wife was sleeping in and stole her purse and mobile phone. Last summer a bunch of them tried again, but they failed because our neighbors across the street called me and I called the police (and amazingly they came while the perps will still here).

"He bit of someone's ear two hours earlier?
He murdered someone.
Why is the independent withholding a name?
Where's the photo?
Where's the description?"

Yeah really, what's with no name and description. Shouldn't we be working together to get this human waste of our streets? And why would anyone be friends with the type of guy who would bite off someone's ear? Was it Mike Tyson?

Posted by: cedarhillresident | June 12, 2008 12:35 PM

ben
I am with you on 2 story's the BBQ stabbing (where there must be a mug shot of this guy somewhere) and this one. They asked for help and offered no photo or detailed description.
He is described as a black man with black hair, 5 foot 7 inches tall, 180 pounds, with brown eyes.

I will say that I have been getting help, and my street has been realitivly quit this week! Thank God! Although one street over is getting scary. And I think the cops are on the same page now, I am hoping that changes are happening and this summer may be a better one than last year. Remember some house cleaning was done in the PD. And I am sure it was not just the ones we know about. So lets give it a chance.

Posted by: irresponsible | June 12, 2008 12:58 PM

Paul, you are wrong for running this story with all of those details of the incident. All you have done is handicap the detectives working the case. True, the public has a right to know these details, but at the right time. There are far too many people meddling in the operations of the NHPD and it is affecting the qaulity of its operation. And by the way, we do have a Chief and she is doing a hell of alot more than the last one.

Posted by: nutmeg | June 12, 2008 2:05 PM

if it bleeds, it leads!

Posted by: write&wrong | June 12, 2008 3:01 PM

Excellent point about the descriptions of people suspected of crimes. I have asked this question several times. Why does the Independent not report demographic information on people who commit crimes or are alleged to have commit crimes?

Read and re-read many of these stories that deal with crime. No mention of race or other non-politically correct descriptions. I have to laugh when articles say "the suspect was wearing a blue shirt". I am not a criminal, but if I were to commit a crime. The first thing I am doing is changing my shirt and pants.

Lets do a better job of giving out descriptions that can help cath these folks. Pretty, please with sugar on top!

W&W

Posted by: Ben | June 12, 2008 3:14 PM

There is nothing politically incorrect about giving race as a physical descriptor.
That can not be the reason that NHI has omitted. Can it?

Posted by: Ben | June 12, 2008 3:19 PM

Also,
I'm sure there is one person that has read this article that can give a description of the suspected murderer.

My prediction based on trends in Urban Violence: Brother finds murderer first. Brother Becomes Murderer. Murderer becomes victim. A. Brother goes to jail. B. Brother gets murdered and the murder cycle continues.

No way to stop this without more information, better parenting and community involvement. (Yes, by the police also.)

Posted by: 2nd Amendment | June 12, 2008 3:39 PM

I can't wait to leave New Haven permanently. This place is an urban disaster area and only getting worse. The local government is corrupt and incompetent. Convenience to the only employment game in town (Yale) is all well and good, but if you've got to turn your home into a fortress at night, it's just not worth living here.

Posted by: -fairhavener- | June 12, 2008 4:25 PM

"There are far too many people meddling in the operations of the NHPD and it is affecting the qaulity of its operation. "

Yeah, and that is why the NHPD is always begging for the community to help them do their jobs. Please. I think there needs to be a lot MORE meddling. Maybe then something might get accomplished. As far as quality is concerned, nothing could possibly make it worse.

BTW, was the FBI meddling?

Posted by: anon | June 12, 2008 4:32 PM

Maybe once the newhavensafestreets.org coalition has dealt with traffic safety (a far more serious concern to most "average" residents, even though it doesn't make for a sexy newspaper lead - when someone gets run over, which happens about once a day, most of the time people don't really care) it can use its organization to work on safety issues like getting guns off the streets and greatly raising penalties for violent crimes.

People don't always realize it, but a violent crime affects more than the victim - it hurts neighborhood property values and retail trade as well. Many criminals should get jail time plus be forced to repay their debts (estimate the social cost of a robbery, for example, at $1,000,000 - with the state to repay the loan if the criminal is unable to).

Posted by: Paul Bass | June 12, 2008 4:49 PM

We do publish photos and descriptions of wanted suspects when the police department asks us to.

Otherwise we tend not to -- my biggest fear is permanently branding someone a criminal who hasn't been proved guilty of committing a crime. That said, if the police department is specifically asking the public's help, it's part of our mission to spread the word.

Posted by: Moi | June 12, 2008 5:26 PM

What happened to this neighborhood in Westville? I grew up there and it used to be OK.....

Posted by: Elfer | June 12, 2008 5:54 PM

No one wants to admit it, but we no longer have leadership in this city. Unless the residents band together and shut down the current slew of corrupt politicians crime will get much worse before we wake up and get real. John is physically and mentally no longer in this city can we get together to take control or are we going to throw or hands up in desperation and ignore reality. This situation was long in coming shame on us for being so passive. New Haven is getting uglier by the day. I hope we tune in before we allow things to get so out of control, so that when John leaves office in a few months were not left with a chaotic city.

Posted by: Ben | June 12, 2008 6:19 PM

Paul,
That's fair. If you know that there may be another side to this story than I can see why you would be discreet.
On the other hand, why even print the story with half the information?

Posted by: In The Hood | June 12, 2008 6:32 PM

We need to promote some kind of community-based intervention team when we know that known and soon to be dangerous criminals are interacting in the community. This man bit off someone's ears.

Shouldn't some intervention team be out tracking him down before he pulled a gun? Did the victim go to hospital. Was the biting incident reported to the police? A grown man to bite someone spells serious trouble.

Part of the problem is that folks tend to stay silent when trouble is brewing...Part of the problem is cops respond slowly to family and friend disputes.

Both of these family/friend murders could have been prevented if solid prevention and intervention processes were in place.

Posted by: Esteban | June 12, 2008 8:02 PM

Mr. Bass speaks with forked tongue. His accusations and sly implications against those who would disagree with his politics are well known. He has no "biggest fear" when it serves his purpose to brand someone of misbehavior.

Posted by: unprotected | June 12, 2008 8:36 PM

we had an outreach team, and ofc. abdusabur was running it. where did it go? was it the victim of a budget cut or did they see it wasn't working.

Posted by: The truth | June 12, 2008 11:11 PM

Even for $160,000 the city could not get a good police chief. Looks like a lot of us will need to be waring (get it???) body armor soon.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | June 13, 2008 12:18 AM

Unprotected the outreach team is out there and making a difference! Town hall did comment that they know how important this program is.
Paul thank you for your comment. I do want to know the story and I would rather have what you can print than no news at all the the issue. And that is a fair way to report. God forbid the person is innocent.

Posted by: Hooligan | June 13, 2008 3:00 AM

Fairhavener

You can't be this obtuse, the NHPD, begging for the community to do there job?, If it effects our community it's our responsibility to help out with information, or what ever it takes to help your fellow person. Your closed minded thinking is that ignorant " stop snitching " thought that thugs pray on.

People like you don't surprise me anymore, and that's pathetic.

Posted by: Newbie | June 13, 2008 11:41 AM

Would anyone be interested in looking into creating a gun buy back program? I know nothing about the details of such programs or the outcome rates, but to my mind it seems like it couldn't hurt. Is there anyway to get a State or Federal grant for funding, or perhaps a grass roots movement similar to the safe streets action could take place to raise funding?

While I don't have the ability to lead this program I would certainly do my part to help. Does anyone else think this would be a worthwhile positive option to look into?

Just a suggestion....

Posted by: e-delito | June 14, 2008 4:29 AM

THE MURDERERS NAME IS EMUEL
FIND HIM

RIP JOSHUA TORRES
You were my best friend for over 11 years.. Blood wouldnt have made us any closer..

edgardbonilla@yahoo.com

www.myspace.com/edelitopr
^^ to see pic of joshua

Posted by: Fedupwithliberals | June 15, 2008 7:08 AM

We do publish photos and descriptions of wanted suspects when the police department asks us to.

Paul, you still did not answer Ben"s question. Explain the PC angle of not stating race when describing suspects, and how that helps to make us all safe.

Posted by: Detective A. Vazquez | June 17, 2008 1:31 PM

Hi; I am Detective A. Vazquez with the New Haven Police Department Investigative Division. I recently read one of the "blogs" from E-DELITO which states that "THE MURDERS' NAME IS EMUEL."

As such, I am asking "E-DELITO" to contact the me as soon as possible relative to the above information. You can reach me at (203) 946-6304.

Thankyou for your copperation in this matter.

Posted by: Jessica | June 19, 2008 1:43 PM

I would love to give my condolences to Josh's family especially his mother because Josh used to talk about how she was there for him all the time and he used to say how much he loved her... he was a person whom was always high in spirit.... It was the hardest to be mad around him he was always making me laugh .... I went to Job Corps with him and he was loved by many and hated by few. Josh always explained the things that went on in his "hood", and I was always worried for his safety.... THE GOOD DIE YOUNG MUCH LOVE !!!!!!!!! LETS NOT CRY ABOUT SOMETHING WE CAN'T TAKE BACK LET'S CELEBRATE THE TIMES WE HAD WITH HIM!

R.I.P J.O. (JOSHUA A.TORRES)
THE LIVEST RICAN EVA!!! ;)

LOVE JESSICA RAMIREZ!!!!

Posted by: Tyquanda | June 19, 2008 1:46 PM

R.I.P. Josh
I Knew him through job corps he was a good friend more like a brother though i cant believe i finally read the story on this of how he got shot and where i want to send my prayers to his family. Why wont they give up the murders name there should be something on t.v. stating what he looks like just n case someone sees him please find the person tht took josh life away i went to the funeral and i cryed every second of it i loved him like a brother and still do love him like a brother 1 thing that i will always remember is his smile i will always remember him 4 eva r.i.p. joshua torres i know that ur looki down and u are in a better place

"Its over now" No more cloudy days there are gone away i know that u made it the torm is over now.

I'll see u when i get there.