New Haven Independent

Receivables Collector Supervisor Anna Maria Simeone (pictured) chuckles at the thought of ever carrying a firearm or having arrest power. That did not stop her last month from becoming one of New Haven’s first “constables” in recent memory.

“It’s part of my city service,” she said, proudly.

It’s also part of a new city government strategy for towing cars and dealing with marshals — one with the potential of decreasing political influence and saving money that might never have had to be spent in the first place. (Click here to read about more reforms in the works.)

Siemone’s title may be somewhat of a misnomer. American Heritage definitions of “constable” include “police officer” and “medieval officer of high rank, usually serving as military commander in the absence of a monarch.” Simeone’s job is tamer, if also less illustrious: Approve (or deny) requests from dispatchers to boot city vehicles belonging to delinquent taxpayers.

“Their authority,” said Tax Collector C.J. Cuticello, “is limited strictly to the booting of vehicles, and that’s it.”

Unlike state marshals who, until last month received $200 per-four-hour shift performing a similar function, the new slate of constables earn nothing in addition to their base salaries.

“That’s OK,” said Simeone (who lost the Ward 12 co-chair reelection earlier this year). It is, she explained, just part of her job now. Plus, if she were to get paid more, she said, it would be a “conflict of interest.”

Until recently, officials saw no such conflict of interest paying five — often politically connected — state marshals nearly $100,000 in fees to call in (or to not call in) tows of automobiles of delinquent property-taxpayers. Following Independent stories about favoritism and flaws in the system, officials suspended the program and appointed the “constables” to handle matters instead.

Unresolved in the transition: How the suddenly unemployed funds — those once used to pay marshals — will be spent now by the city.

Two of the other new constables were less interested in talking about their new roles. Michael Mahon, a city receivables collector, ducked low into his cubicle when approached by reporter and chastised Simeone for uttering his name aloud. Constable Rose Marie Vega-Bradley, the back tax investigator supervisor, refused to comment or allow a photograph.

City Controller Mark Pietrosimone (pictured), the fourth and final constable, did offer an explanation of the new role. He said the job description is relatively simple.

In the past, state-approved marshals scoured the streets for a delinquent before calling for his or her car to be towed. The constables now review dispatches electronically to ensure the owner of the automobile in question did not, for example, pay the outstanding taxes 15 minutes ago. If all checks out — and it usually does — the constable authorizes the boot.

Cuticello is not a constable but is authorized by law to carry out the same duty. He has — with Vega-Bradley — handled nearly all of the cases so far. Pietrosimone and Simeone both said none have come across their desks yet.

A question, then, is begged: Why were marshals — and their not-too-shabby salaries — ever needed in the first place?

Cuticello (pictured) said it is because the city is “not seizing vehicles” and towing them anymore. It’s locking them in place with a metal boot.

Cars booted with no response from the owner after 12 hours are towed, though. In the past, tow companies, not marshals carried out the actual property seizure.

“We’re making it less stressful for everyone,” Cuticello said. The Tax Collector’s Office is now open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. every weekday. Residents generally appreciate not having to retrieve their car from across town, Cuticello said; and they appreciate that $55 un-boots a car, while it takes $95 to pay for a tow.

Then the math gets fuzzy.

Cuticello said “we were offsetting the marshals fees with the $6 warrant fee” that delinquents are required to pay on top of other fees when retrieving or un-booting their vehicles.

He referred further questions to Pietrosimone. In an email message, Cuticello said, “The Controller would be the best person to ask where the funds will be deposited and what they will be used for.”

The controller was perplexed.

“I have no idea,” Pietrosimone said in an interview at his third-floor Hall of Records office Wednesday. “I don’t know, to be honest with you.”

He, too, said that he believes the warrant fee — and other miscellaneous fees — paid the marshals.

According to figures he provided Thursday, marshals had already earned $71,000 in 2008 before the use of marshals in the delinquent property-tax program was suspended. They received $84,300 in 2007 and $64,800 in 2006.

This fiscal year, North Branford Democratic Council Member Andrew Esposito III of Northford received the most in towing-related fees, with $20,400 over 102 shifts. Jerry Juliano, the Democratic Party boss in North Branford, earned $18,800 over 94 shifts. Mark DeAngelis clocked in third with $16,200 over 81 shifts. Embattled marshal Peter Criscuolo (pictured), a close ally of DeStefano, made $11,800 over 59 shifts. And Gerald Cappiello performed 19 shifts, rendering his intake $16,200.

(These numbers preclude salaries earned in the course of unrelated marshal duty, such as serving foreclosures. Those run as high anually as $196,000 for a single marshal, Criscuolo.)

“When you’re dealing with a $450 million budget,” Pietrosimone had said Wednesday speculating on the account’s annual intake, “forty grand really isn’t a lot of money.”

Previous coverage of New Haven’s towing and marshal industries:

Marshal Plan Would Spread Wealth

Marshals Lose Towing Gig; Foreclosures Next?

Mayor’s Favorite Marshal Rakes In $196K

“They’re Thieves”

Marshals Sent To School

DMV To Towing Companies: No Sealed Bids

Third Towing Scrape Detailed

Clergy “Exemption” Detailed

New Towing Probe Sought

$200 For 4 Hours

Towing Program Halted

Kimber Gets Off The (Towing) Hook

“We’re Not Double-Dipping”

Alvin Goes For The Chevy

Towing Co. Ducks Tax Bill