nothin Black Lives Matter Targets Chief | New Haven Independent

Black Lives Matter Targets Chief

Aliyya Swaby Photo

Miller-Granger taps Facebook Live at protest.

Racial justice activists protested in front of City Hall and the police station Tuesday afternoon to demand Mayor Toni Harp fire police Chief Dean Esserman in the wake of his publicized angry outbursts and inability to properly discipline officers who act out.

A couple of dozen demonstrators from at least six different local activist groups Tuesday afternoon reproached Mayor Harp for her inaction on the matter, a day after she announced Esserman would go on an extended sick leave, using accrued time. It is believed that she is negotiating a financial deal for Esserman to leave office; his contract runs until January.

Organizers of Tuesday’s protests said the issue of the chief’s conduct has united everyone in the city, drawing in groups with various missions.

Two separate small groups of about 10 people gathered at City Hall and the police station at 3:30 p.m., then joined together across the street from Gateway Community College on Church Street at 5 p.m. and marched back to City Hall. They raised signs and called out chants such as, Esserman is really shitty. Get your ass out of my city!”

Fair (right).

Organizer Barbara Fair said the police station represents the location where the problem started, with the chief. She said City Hall represents where the problem is now — with the mayor, for not firing Esserman. She called for it to end at City Hall.

Negotiating with a bully is setting a really bad precedent,” she said.

There’s one person who has the power to wipe this all away,” she added, referring to Harp.

Why isn’t he fired? How much cause do you need to fire someone?” organizer Catherine John asked. She is not linked to a specific activist group, but reached out to several, including Black Lives Matter New Haven, Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ), and Unidad Latina en Accion.

Esserman, she said, seems uninspired to change.”

John.

Tuesday also saw a cop shooting of a 39-year-old allegedly suicidal man with a knife at public housing facility Ruoppolo Manor in Fair Haven. John referenced this as evidence of poor departmental training. That’s someone who trained under Chief Esserman,” she said. He did not bring community policing to New Haven.”

State investigators are looking into the incident, a standard requirement when a local officer shoots someone.

Norman Clement, an organizer with ANSWER CT, stopped passersby to urge them to sign a petition demanding Harp remove Esserman from his position.

The petition reads as follows: We, the undersigned, demand that as a result of his misleadership of the NHPD and his multiple documented outbursts that Chief Esserman be immediately removed from his position at the New Haven Police Department. Further, we demand an independent review of all civilian complaints filed against any officer during Esserman’s tenure as Chief and that serious and immediate disciplinary action be taken against any officer who has abused their power against our city.”

Noon (who declined to give his last name) came to support from Bridgeport.

Since Saturday, Clement said, he has filled pages with almost 100 signatures.

Free us from Esserman, Toni Harp,” Lia Miller-Granger, one of the leaders of Black Lives Matter New Haven, yelled at the corner of Church and George Streets. She called the chief the oppressor in this instance” and called on Harp to remove him immediately.

If the pigs don’t trust the pig, why should we trust the pig?” she said, referring to a recent 170 – 42 no-confidence vote police officers took against the chief.

Miller-Granger said the demonstration against Esserman fits in with the broader goals of the Black Lives Matter movement, especially when it comes to police accountability: We have to have a police chief who is for the people. He is supposed to give directions. We need him to be higher than accountable. We need him to be higher the standard of regular citizens.”

She also noted that Black Lives Matter doesn’t stand just for black lives” but for the greater good of the community. This is a New Haven Residents Matter’ event,” she called out to the group of demonstrators.

Mayor Toni Harp did not attend the rally but released a statement Thursday evening.

Chief Esserman remains chief; in his absence, day-to-day command of the department falls to Assistant Chief Anthony Campbell. There has been no interruption in public safety services, nor will there be as a result of the chief’s extended leave – the safety and security of residents, property owners, students, and those doing business in the city remains my priority,” she stated.

The chief has broken no laws to my knowledge, and has committed no dismissible offense. Whether or not he returns to duty – and when – is largely up to him. In the meanwhile, we’ll do all we can to extend across-the-board, steadily decreasing crime rates of the past five years – which coincide with Chief Esserman’s tenure.”

Esserman’s contract runs until January 2018. It is believed that Mayor Harp is negotiating a financial deal with Esserman to leave office now.

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