New Haven Independent

posted by: leibzelig on November 26, 2012  11:10am

I am very happy for Bill and sad for us. He is a pro and covered a beat that takes a lot out of you in time and in having to see and write about the worst of society. It’s hard to have a life when your working schedule is dependent on when crime and other tragedy occurs.
I wish him well and hold out hope that there is another person who can do this vital but soul-consuming job.
Good luck in Bridgeport, Bill. You will be a hard act to follow for the next person. I hope the Reg will not nickle and dime when it comes to finding someone to cover this beat.
All the best.

posted by: Andy Bromage on November 26, 2012  11:44am

Congrats, Bill! You will surely be missed. They don’t make many reporters like Bill K. anymore -a hard-working, shoe-leather journo who was so plugged in, the cops called him for information. I sat kitty-corner from Bill in the NH Register newsroom and used to laugh hearing him spell his bear of a last name to people on phone (“two f’s as in Frank”). Good luck in B-Po, Bill! Keep those cops honest!

posted by: jackkramer1 on November 26, 2012  1:04pm

Covering cops and crime is one of the toughest reporting jobs around. Nobody did it better than Bill. He was fair, thorough - one of the best reporters I have ever worked with in my nearly 4 decades in the business.

Jack Kramer

posted by: NHPDHartman on November 26, 2012  3:52pm

Anyone who’s worked on either side of Police reporting knows it’s a constant balancing act. Instinctively, Police try to protect information while the press try to get as much of it as they can. As cordial as the correspondence between the two camps may seem, the truth is there is often a similarly instinctive distrust of the other.

As a relatively new media liaison, I was reeled in by smiling reporters and sweet-talking assignment editors. I’ve likened the experience to that of the children in “Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang” who were lured in by the promise of Treacle and Chocolates by the cleverly disguised Child Catcher, only to find themselves caged.

There were a few exceptions to the professional tug-o-war. Bill is at the top of the list. He reports on what he’s investigated and not simply on what he’s been told. He is a true writer. He is a professional through and through, a great friend, a source of immeasurable professional help and a great person to vent to. The Register should be very proud of his years of intelligent reporting.

Congratulations Bill. The Bridgeport Police Department is very lucky to have your expertise on the way.

Best, D.

posted by: JMS on November 26, 2012  4:59pm

Congratulations to an excellent reporter and even better little league baseball score book keeper.

Coach Josh
Linkzero

posted by: leibzelig on November 27, 2012  7:34pm

The story of Bill’s hiring in Bridgeport follows a pattern of New Haven media breaking stories about doings in the Park City. The Connecticut Post’s story about Bill’s hiring as police spokesman in Bridgeport quoted the New Haven Independent as its source. In the late 1980s, the New Haven Register was first to run the story of the Post’s sale to the Thomson group. Some things never change.