New Haven Independent

posted by: JustAnotherTaxPayer on March 5, 2013  3:54pm

Interesting how the topic of hold downs was placed into the article, as if this was somehow the greatest shortcoming of the NHPD.

A little history, they were initiated by officer that were performing their duties in a fashion that had been observed, and admired. by people who wanted them as the officers to be at their businesses. Their work ethic, character, performance as Police Officers, honesty, and experience allowed them to do the job the way it was meant to be done. Not what it has become since the onset of the Pas-tore/Esserman Era.

The pressure to dissolve the “Hold Down” policy should be understood honestly, but that is impossible for almost all policies within the PD and the city management team. In short the majority of officers that are on the job want everything immediately, and when they don’t get it they begin to interact amongst themselves to determine why this is unfair and needs to be changed.

The elements lacking in this dialogue is experience, understanding, patience, and realizing that to gain a reputation for being a good cop, by actual people, is by doing the job correctly, day in and day out, on view, in front of the public, and then and only then will you be prepared to accept a contract, such as a hold down.

By not doing it that way leads to the false belief that these “choice” assignments are meant to be abused. First off by not being present at the job site while being paid. Or being present and sleeping. Or failing to stand up in the road when assigned to do traffic; or bringing friends onto the job site for social or conjugal visits.

Yes, that is what hold downs, and most extra duty jobs have turned into, by officers brought to the job under Pastore/Esserman. And this is due to a lack of supervision, by a real police supervisior, and any discipline against the chronic violators.

Oh, and Andrea Brooks should be content now, as the standards she complained about, have finally arrived for the entire city.

It’s the people you hired, the people who have been made supervisors, and most importantly, the management that Mayor has placed in charge for the past 20 years. Appearances are not everything, performance does count when we are talking about public safety. 1000 dead children shot in the last 30 years.