Seniors turn out Wednesday to hear from town officials and Hamden Plaza's owner about shopping-center safety.
Miller Memorial Library employee Kathy Galasso wasn’t at work Wednesday — but she sent a public explanation to her boss and 100 fellow seniors from her “uncomfortable hospital bed” where she is currently recovering from two pelvic fractures sustained during a broad daylight carjacking at the Hamden Plaza.
“It happened in a flash… I was tackled from behind and thrown violently to the ground,” Galasso wrote. “The incident happened so fast I wasn’t even scared. What I am now is angry. Angry that I’m confined to a bed, that I can’t move without pain, that I can’t do the everyday things I did before.”
While Galasso was slugging through the first few days of an expected 12-week recovery process, around 100 seniors flocked to the library’s auditorium to discuss what they saw as a broader issue of upscaled crime aimed at senior citizens, primarily in Hamden’s central shopping centers.
They were joined by Hamden police, Mayor Lauren Garrett, and Andrew Bermant — the owner of the Hamden Plaza, who flew across the country from California to talk about his efforts to prevent future thefts and assaults.
Chief of Police John Sullivan with Detective Sean Dolan.
Andrew Bermant to shoppers: "You are the most important thing."
Prior to the pandemic, Bermant told the seniors, he couldn’t remember many incidents taking place at the shopping plaza since he took on his role back in 2000. “It was nothing like what we’re facing today,” he said.
Police statistics show that over the last five years, certain categories of crime have risen in town. The number of robberies reported between Jan. 1 and March 22 increased from 12 to 19 between 2018 and 2022. (The numbers for that given time period for each year in between were 8 in 2019, 8 in 2020, and 16 in 2021.) During the same three-month period, motor vehicle theft incidents changed from 28 reported incidents in 2018 to 23 in 2019; 76 in 2020; 72 in 2021; and back down to 40 in 2022. But thefts of motor vehicle parts and/or thefts from inside cars have surged from 55 in 2018 to 72 in 2019; 93 in 2020; 70 in 2021; and 120 in 2022.
Incidents like carjackings, especially by juveniles, have actually been on the rise across the country, Chief Sullivan pointed out. The trends witnessed in Hamden are not specific to the town, he argued.
While individual attacks at shopping centers, like Galasso’s, are disturbing, such events seem relatively rare.
The last time the Independent wrote about crime in shopping centers — a popular topic of debate during the 2021 general election — it appeared that only four reports had been filed for incidents that took place at Hamden Plaza and Hamden Mart: A series of purse snatchings at Hamden Plaza and Hamden Mart on Jan. 16, 2020; an assault and vehicle theft on an older woman on Sept. 8, 2020; another purse snatching at Hamden Mart on Feb. 19, 2021; and a final purse snatching on Nov. 1, 2021.
Since then, the Independent noticed three additional events that took place in shopping centers: Galasso’s March 19 carjacking; a series of thefts from vehicles on Feb. 15 between Hamden Plaza and Hamden Mart; and a failed theft on Feb. 2 outside the plaza.
Public officials, along with Bermant, attempted to reassure seniors Wednesday about measures being taken to prevent future crime — and to encourage the elderly to alter their individual behaviors in order to better defend themselves.
“We don’t want people to live in fear,” urged Detective Sean Dolan, the department’s spokesperson. “But we want people to be smart.”
Police suggested everyone leave their purses at home, go shopping with a friend or in groups, remember to lock their cars, always keep their keys easily accessible, and “stay alert.”
“Program the Hamden Police Department number into your phone,” Dolan instructed. “203 – 230-4000. First name, Hamden, last name, Police Department.”
Bermant appealed to the older residents by recalling his own history in Hamden.
“My family has owned this shopping corner at the Hamden Plaza since 1956,” he said. “Many of you may recall the ghost car parking lot — We don’t want that whole plaza to become a ghost car parking lot.”
“We’re gonna do everything we possibly can do to try to take care of you, because you are the most important thing for us and for our retailers,” he assured.
“We spent $250,000 on security in the last year,” he stated, sharing that he has upgraded lights around the plaza to an LED system and invested in a new video surveillance system that provides coverage of the entire parking lot. Now, when crimes take place, he is able to send footage to the police for processing.
Police Chief John Sullivan added that the department currently has two patrol cars stationed by Stop & Shop, which is technically outside of the plaza but part of the town’s “Magic Mile” of stores. It also has two area cars responsible for patrolling the west side of Dixwell, which includes the plaza, as well as the east, which includes Hamden’s shopping mart.
Seniors speak out at meeting.
“This is ridiculous, we don’t see police out there!” one woman shouted.
“We wanna meet your concerns …” Dolan began.
“I don’t think that’s gonna happen!” another interrupted.
Some seniors came out to complain about homeless people wandering through the plaza. Others asked about the police department’s recruiting efforts given that they are currently understaffed. More threatened to begin shopping in North Haven and other nearby towns. One protested the mayor’s proposed mill rate hike.
Lauren Garrett addresses concerned seniors after the meeting.
The gathering was the first in two years of the Association of Miller Seniors. Before the pandemic, members would come together monthly for social activities like concerts or to host fundraisers for organizations like local soup kitchens.
On Wednesday, they returned to the library for the first time for a different kind of conversation.
“We didn’t expect all this,” said Vice-President Eleanor Pesanelli, pointing to the large turnout and numerous news outlets crowding the auditorium. “Maybe next time I’ll have Hollywood,” she joked.
Her takeaway from the event: “Perhaps we should have a meeting and get signatures and write to Hartford about what we’re seeing,” she said, suggesting that the problem is insufficient policies designed to hold juveniles accountable for their behaviors.
“They should be definitely serving time,” she said of youth who are participating in carjackings, thefts, and even violent assaults.
Eleanor Pesanelli at end of meeting: Someone forgot their purse!
At the end of the meeting, Hamden resident Mary Nelson, who remained quiet throughout the two-hour event, offered her opinion on the situation.
“I’m not afraid to shop here,” she said.
“Percentage-wise,” Nelson noted, there are few criminal occurrences taking place at Hamden’s shopping centers.
“I like to know what’s going on, and I like to listen to other opinions,” she said regarding her reasoning for coming out to Miller.
“But I’m glad they did this. And it’s very impressive that the owner flew in from California. He’s taking it seriously.”
“If they hold another event,” she said, “I’ll be there, too.”
The town will hold a second public input session regarding crime solutions facilitated by the Strengthening Police and Community Partnership council next Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Legislative Council Chambers.
This is what $1.3 Billion Dollars in Debt and A Liberal Government brings to you. Hamden is a lost cause but other town take notes. Hamden prides itself on diversity, progression, banning plastic bags and straws, and apparently every other week a story about an elderly person getting mugged, assaulted, carjacked, and severely injured in the grocery store parking lots.