CRB, IA Clear 6 Officers

The Civilian Review Board reviewed on Monday six Internal Affairs (IA) investigations into allegations of police misconduct — ranging from excessive force to personal bias to improper traffic stops — and found no grounds for officer discipline in any of the cases. 

The board accepted the findings of the police department’s IA division, which concluded that each complaint was either unfounded or the officer involved was exonerated. Lt. Jessie Agoto from Internal Affairs presented the details of the six cases to the board.

That took place during the board’s latest monthly meeting, which was held in person at City Hall and online via Zoom. The Civilian Review Board (CRB) provides civilian oversight of investigations into alleged misconduct by New Haven police officers.

Three of the complaints presented by Agosto on Monday were ruled by IA to be unfounded.

One included a use-of-force allegation from a woman who said she was maced and denied medical attention. Body camera footage showed officers offered care and behaved respectfully, according to Monday’s presentation.

In a second case, a sexual assault complainant accused a retired detective of mishandling the investigation due to personal ties, but the probe was found to be thorough and unbiased. 

A third complainant claimed an officer used influence to keep her out of a nightclub, though investigators found the ban was imposed independently by the venue.

The other three cases were ruled exonerated, meaning the officers were found to have acted appropriately. 

One involved a man who was stopped and handcuffed near the scene of a recent homicide. Officers mistook him for a suspect, but bodycam footage showed they never drew weapons and followed proper procedure. 

Another driver said he was forcibly removed from his vehicle, but IA found the stop was justified due to illegal window tint and erratic behavior. The officer removed the man after he refused to identify himself and moved his hands inside the car.

In the final case, a resident accused an officer of threatening arrest over repeated 911 calls reporting drug activity. Investigators found the calls were unsubstantiated and intended to harass neighbors, and that the officer’s warning was appropriate. 

Across all six cases, the board issued no recommendations for further action, reinforcing IA’s determinations that the complaints did not warrant discipline.

While closing out the misconduct reviews, Board administrator Alyson Heimer noted that the CRB had no outstanding case-specific recommendations pending with the police chief. However, the board did raise broader reforms still awaiting action.

The CRB is continuing to push for a walkthrough of the 1 Union Ave. detention facility to assess detention conditions and transparency. That visit has yet to be scheduled due to scheduling conflicts with police administrators. The board also reiterated its request for a long-term plan to increase the number of drug recognition experts (DREs) on the force — from 20 percent to 40 percent of sworn officers over the next decade.

Additionally, members raised ongoing frustrations about a past recommendation that officers carry standardized business cards to give to residents after interactions. Some officers reportedly continue to hand out handwritten scraps of paper with case numbers. NHPD Captain Michael Fumiatti acknowledged the issue and said redesigned cards with case info and QR codes are in development.

The Monday meeting also included a statistical report tracking recent complaint trends. The breakdown of complaint types in 2025 shows Neglect of Duty (6 complaints) and Rudeness (4 complaints) as the most common allegations, followed by Excessive Force (3), Alleged Criminal Conduct (2), and other categories including Harassment and Property Damage. Notably, no 2025 complaints have alleged false arrest, racial profiling, or social media violations to date.

Though the CRB cleared officers in all six recent cases, board members emphasized the importance of continued oversight and structural improvement.

“We’re here to review citizen complaints against police officers. I just want that to be part of the record and on people’s radar,” said member Germano Kimbro.