Branford Police Department
A 26-year-old Bridgeport man, arrested for possession of cocaine and a loaded gun, was found parked in the early hours of the morning last week in an area known as a hot spot for motor vehicle and criminal activity.
James Nelson was arrested near 3 Business Park Drive, not far from the Branford Motel and the TA Truck Stop, locations the Branford police have long investigated and patrolled. It is not unusual for police to arrest people from other areas of the state who have heard about places to buy illegal drugs.
The police use predictive policing statistics to anticipate where crime may occur and deploy officers to those areas. Typically the major police activity in this area occurs in the early hours of the morning. As a result police teams are deployed to the area during the overnight shift.
Lieutenant John Alves, who commands the midnight shift, said that Officer Matt Clerkin’s attention was drawn to a suspicious motor vehicle in the area
of 3 Business Park Drive, not far from the motel.
The hour was 1 a.m.
Clerkin checked the automobile’s registration and learned that it had expired. He then stopped the vehicle. “As a result of the stop, Officer Clerkin located a loaded .38 caliber handgun in the car, as well as a substance that tested positive for cocaine. Furthermore, a weapons check indicated that the weapon was reported stolen,” Capt. Geoffrey Morgan said in a press release.
Nelson, who lives at 40 Marcy Road, Bridgeport, was charged with a number of felonies, including illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of narcotics and other lesser charges. He was released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in New Haven Superior Court on Jan. 12 at 9:30 a.m.
Police Chief Kevin Halloran said in a prior interview that the Branford Motel area “remains a hot spot for motor vehicle and criminal activity.”
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