New Haven Independent

Posted by: John B | October 6, 2008 8:23 PM

I love how the city is flat out broke, laying off people left and right, there's no police overtime....but somehow the city can swinagle money together to pay for 3 new high-ranking chiefs. I really hope it pays off in the end.

Posted by: Charlie | October 6, 2008 10:29 PM

Hey John B: you don't realize the half of it! Chief Lewis brought his boys here with a simple offer: he told them about the sweetest gig he has setup here that they too could particiapte in! Imagine -- they come to work in New Haven for 18 months and leave with a sweet severance payment of roughly $200,000 on top of the money they are collecting in "retirement". When Lewis took this job, it was becuase Johnny D had no one interested in the job. The word was out in the network that he is a lame duck and an egomaniac, so this wasn't a job with any takers. Lewis takes the job on his terms: $150k per year, and when he leaves in 18 months or so, he gets the balance of what would have been a four year contract, or roughly 2.5 years of pay. You do the math. By the time Lewis and his boys leave town, they'll be leaving with almost $900,000 in severance pay and laughing all the way to the bank. This is what DeStefano has done and has not told anyone yet -- including those yes men at the BOA. DeStefano truly does not care for this city. He didn't intend to be around for the current fiscal mess, so he acted without regard for the long term fiscal health of the city. That is how he got into this situation, the only thing he didn't count on was getting crushed in the race for Governor.

Posted by: Chris | October 7, 2008 11:46 AM

Charlie: You pay for top talent, we are lucky to have him here. He is bringing in people who know his system (WHICH WORKS!) and that helps them hit the ground running. Try being objective before you start talking negatively about people who you do not know and their intentions here.

Posted by: Gary Doyens | October 7, 2008 2:13 PM

With all this top heavy talent, perhaps we can start doing something besides busting a bunch of prostitutes and their customers. Do they live all in New Haven?

Charlie: I hope you are wrong about the pay package, but then again, knowing DeStefano and his ability to negotiate, I somehow would not be surprised. PERF, now top heavy management, Billy White, gross abuse of overtime, and all the rest are a direct result of DeStefano's failure in leadership.

Posted by: Chief James Lewis | October 7, 2008 3:25 PM

I normally don't respond to blogs as everyone deserves to have their say and wouldn't be responding if Charlie was merely in disagreement with my policing style, he has the right. However his above comments are so inaccurate, they must be addressed. First of all, the Asst. Chiefs positions that were recommended by PERF are not on a contract and they will not receive a severance when they leave. Secondly, it is common knowledge to anyone who has followed this issue that I am completing the last eighteen months of a four year contract and there is not two and a half years at the end to pay out to me.

Additionally, a severance is only paid if a contracted employee is forced out prior to the end of the contract. If I leave voluntarily or complete the 18 months, I will not receive any severance and in fact will only receive my last weeks salary and any unused vacation. I did not receive moving expenses and will not receive any to return to Wisconsin.
In essence, I will receive approximately 1/3 of 1% of the $900,000 that Charlie claims.

Posted by: FacChek | October 7, 2008 4:07 PM

Your right on all points Chief, too bad you're not a Wall Street CEO. FYI.. Charlie was just trying to over-pay you.

Posted by: Josh Smith | October 7, 2008 7:22 PM

Some people on here are so consistently negative, I almost throw up in my mouth a little when I read these comments. Though, the conspiracy theories about the Mayor and the Chief are kind of amusing.

Chief Lewis is doing an amazing job in my book. A lot of you don't see him go to community meetings, activist meetings, and countless other places that he really doesn't have to go and talk to us, but he goes anyway. He cares about making this town crime-free, or as close as you can possibly get. New Haven was in really bad shape in the early 90s and though I haven't been here long, I understand the city has come quite a long way. I hope Lewis stays here for good, and I also hope people stop bitching and get out and do something positive for this town. Get ready for the "it's not my job, I pay gi-normous amounts of taxes" comments in 3, 2, 1.....

Posted by: fedupwithliberals | October 7, 2008 7:44 PM

All we need now is Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp.

Posted by: James | October 7, 2008 8:26 PM

I did not receive moving expenses and will not receive any to return to Wisconsin.

Well, then I guess you'll just have to stay! I hope you do. Personally I'm getting out just as soon as the housing market allows, but you're certainly making things more bearable. Nice to know that you read the Independent as well. Take care, and thanks. Good luck with all of the hard work you have ahead of you.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | October 8, 2008 8:59 AM

I agree with James Chief!! You will just have to stay!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!

Posted by: Edward_H | October 8, 2008 3:13 PM

Chief James for Mayor!!!

Posted by: FairHavenRes | October 8, 2008 4:25 PM

Full disclosure, I dont trust Lewis. I believe that he will be the death nail of community policing in New Haven. He wisely is building a following of people who love his crack down on traffic issues, prostitution, and rapid resolution of crime in "high rent" neighborhoods of New Haven. Some are very pleased with Lewis' agressive western style of policing. I predict the low rent neighborhoods, with little political clout, will be the ones to suffer, from reduction in patrols, unresolved crimes, and more agressive cops. I can see some of this right now where I live in Fair Haven.

Chief Lewis, you want to reduce crime, murder and robberies, take the friggin guns off the street. It is really not rocket science. It has been done before and it can be done again. Chief Warring did it, so can you.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | October 8, 2008 8:49 PM

FairHavenRes

I have to argue that. The way I see it is he has given hope to the community's and with hope comes trust. Trust that the NHPD has not gotten in a very long time. That to me is the start of community policing. We are so use to reactive policing...well I see what is happening as proactive. You need to remember that he has a mess to clean up. I think his technique will pear fruit in months to come. He has been here for only a few months and has changed alot I would love to see the city in a year!

Posted by: FairHavenRes | October 8, 2008 9:23 PM

CedarHillRes,

I wish I could share your optism. By nature, I am hopeful, that is why I continue to live in the city of New Haven. Because it costs money to have community policing, one has to be committed to it. I dont think the Chief or the Mayor are. How in the heck could we be in situation where the police department is so understaff? Some of the older officers, those who believe in community policing, are retiring. (They are those folks that Pastore formed.)

We may applaud "agressive" policing, but it is a thin line that we walk, that we can easily go over. (Look at the law suit pending against OConnell for beating some immigrant. Maybe he thought he could get away with it. If it werent for the people supporting the immigrant, we probably would not have heard anything about it.)

The Chief will have his men in position to do his bidding. People who have no idea what NHPD was like before community based policing.

Sorry, I am very cynical about this guy.

Posted by: Josh Smith | October 8, 2008 11:44 PM

Taking guns off the street won't do a thing. You take someone's gun, and they'll just go buy another one illegally. I own a gun and occasionally go to the rifle range in Naugatuck. Does that make me a bad person or a criminal? Of course not. Gun control laws do nothing but make it tougher for good, honest people to get guns for recreation or self-defense. If criminals want guns, you better believe they'll get them illegally somehow. How do they get money for the gun? Probably selling drugs. Great. So now you have more drugs and just as many guns on the street. I realize this is a simplification of the topic, as I don't want to write a whole book about this issue on here, but you must see where I'm coming from. We can't keep going after the guns; we have to go after different things, and here's why:

Like Chief Lewis says, kids in some parts of this city grow up seeing drugs, prostitutes, and cars flying up and down the streets, to name a few choice issues. They keep seeing those things as they grow up, and they're saying to themselves, "Adults are doing anything about it, so it must be okay." They grow up thinking that it's acceptable behavior because they have a warped vision of what's right and wrong. THAT is why the Chief chooses to address what seem to be "smaller issues" to some people. You nix these problems and keep them under control, and in 10 years or so, you see drastically reduced crime rates. I, for one, believe strongly in this approach, and I think this proactive strategy will be way more effective than the reactive strategy of "getting guns off the streets", which won't ever happen unless kids start to learn right from wrong.

Posted by: outsider | October 9, 2008 1:07 AM

Say what you may, Chief Lewis has created a leadership team of professionals that the New Haven Police Department has never had. As a community, you must understand that a mixture of community based and directed (so called aggressive) policing is needed to combat the gun violence. Do not prejudge, sitback and watch a historical transformation of the NHPD. The community deserves it and the members of the PD deserve to work in a professional, well respected department. This will all happen under the command of this team.......

Posted by: Patrick O'Malley | October 9, 2008 1:14 AM

Congrats to New Haven PD and the City of New Haven. You reeled in an awesome Chief of Police. He did a great job for us in Pomona and he is already missed. I've worked with Gillespie for years and you couldn't find a better person with higher ethics to oversee that division. We'll see how New Haven is in 18 months. I can guarantee it will be running very smooth with a decrease in crime, increase in arrests, and some very happy community members. You are missed in Pomona that's for sure.

Posted by: Shane | October 9, 2008 8:37 AM

FairHavener,
First off, give us an example of how many guns Wearing (correct spelling) got off the street. It doesn't matter who the chief is, patrol and the detectives are getting MANY guns off the street. Like drugs, it's an uphill battle to do the job, within certain boundaries, and because there are so many illegal guns out there. We know it's not rocket science...why don't YOU come up with some of the answers instead of criticizing....I don't see any solutions in your posts, just complaining. And if O'Connell was some street thug, you would be spewing "innocent until proven guilty". It's a pending lawsuit...anyone can be sued. It doesn't mean he is guilty of ANYTHING, at this point. Many officers are left who still believe in "community policing". The concept was around before Pastore began it here....I won't give that man an ounce of credit for beat cops getting to know the people of their assigned area. That is simple common sense when approaching this job. And don't blame the administration for being understaffed (notice the "ed"). Many people don't want to be cops or, because of their own criminal histories, can't. You sound like you already have your own prejudices against police officers. Knowing that, I would never want to serve someone like you. Check statistics all around the country and you will see that many departments are having a hard time recruiting new officers! Back up what you say with actual facts.

Posted by: FairHavenRes | October 9, 2008 9:22 AM

Criticism well taken. The facts are the lived experience of the past and hense the source of my concern. So like my prospectus says, past results do not necessarily predict the future, so I will do what I can do on my block watch, be active as i have been in my neighborhood, and watch the new NHPD unfold.

But I reserve my right to comment on what I see happening in my New Haven neighborhood.

As for the past, taking guns off the street does reduce shootings and murder, that is just commonsense. It, like all policing, is just an element. So I understand the Chief using the element of prostitution stings and traffic enforcement as a strategy.

As Josh states, "You nix these problems and keep them under control, and in 10 years or so, you see drastically reduced crime rates. I, for one, believe strongly in this approach, and I think this proactive strategy will be way more effective than the reactive strategy of "getting guns off the streets....". TEN YEARS, hmmmm.

Perhaps my suggestion about getting the guns off the street is "reactive" policing that the Chief wants to get away from?

I just wish there werent so many shootings and killings now, hense my suggestion about getting the guns off the street, then going after these others issues.

Posted by: Josh Smith | October 9, 2008 10:24 AM

Typo in my comment above: Should read "Adults aren't doing anything about it..." Just in case that wasn't obvious in my post.

Posted by: Josh Smith | October 10, 2008 2:53 PM

@ Fairhavenres:

Maybe I've been saying it the wrong way -- what I meant to say was that we can't just go after guns and expect that will solve crime. It takes a mixture of that kind of solution in the short-term and proactive solutions to problems in the long-term to truly reduce crime. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Thinking further about what you said, it makes sense that taking guns away from criminals helps to reduce crime (in the short-term). I admit that I was wrong in saying that it wouldn't do anything -- that was an exaggeration. Obviously, if criminals don't have a gun, that is safer for everyone. I still believe, however, that the effect is minimal because a criminal can and will just as easily go out and get another gun illegally.

So I think we're both right here. Getting guns away from criminals and kids is great. I just believe a lot more could be done to prevent crime rather than just chase it around, that's all -- and I think that's what the Chief is getting at.