NBC30
Shooting scene on Lilac Street Thursday night.
During a night when two more New Haveners got shot, two mayoral candidates invoked different years to criticize each other’s handling of violent crime.
Incumbent Justin Elicker and challenger Karen DuBois-Walton had that back-and-forth debate over crime during an online forum Thursday evening for members of the Ward 26 and Ward 27 Democratic committees, whose chairs will cast votes next month at a Democratic Party nominating convention. The two wards — covering Upper Westville, Beverly Hills, and portions of West Hills and Beaver Hills — have diverse make-ups and often play important roles in primaries.
DuBois-Walton cited the year 2020, and Elicker, 2006, to make their points.
The forum took place amid a spike in gun violence in New Haven, making crime a central campaign issue. As the ward committees met, an exchange of gunfire on Lilac Street sent two 32-year-old men to the hospital.
On many issues at Thursday night’s forum, Elicker and DuBois-Walton expressed similar opinions. They called for equitable economic development, for instance, and changes to exclusionary suburban zoning.
Then Andrea Downer asked about their strategies to drive down crime.
DuBois-Walton, who Wednesday released a 21-point plan to improve public safety, pointed to the year 2020, when New Haven saw 20 homicides, the highest number since 2011, a trend continuing into 2021. She criticized Elicker’s administration for waiting until this spring to release a plan of action rather than acting sooner, and for cutting the police budget in 2020.
“We’ve left our community feeling at a loss and a police department feeling unsupported,” DuBois-Walton argued. A reckoning with current leaders’ “failure of intelligence” is needed to rebuild community relationships and address root causes of crime, she added.
Maya McFadden Photo
DuBois-Walton, Elicker, and Torres at a recent ward committee forum.
Elicker shot back, accusing DuBois-Walton of politicizing a violence surge occurring in cities throughout the nation during the pandemic. He acknowledged the “challenging” issue of crime, then pointed to a different year — 2006 — when DuBois-Walton served as the city’s mayoral chief of staff, overseeing the police department, while then-Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. ran for governor. That year, the city saw 24 homicides.
His point: DuBois-Walton, too, was in charge when a crime spike occurred.
“I’m mayor, and I’m in the business of reality. We can’t just stand on the sidelines and wave a wand to say that we’re going to make things better like the other candidate is acting like she can do,” Elicker stated.
He went on to list efforts the city’s making to address the increased violence, increased walking beats, a revived shootings task force, a gun buyback program, and increased street outreach workers.
A third candidate who has filed for a mayoral run, Macye Torres, also spoke at the forum. She said she experiences crime everyday around her home on “Crack Street” in the Hill. She dismissed both DuBbois-Walton and Elicker as “well-connected, affluent Ivy-Leaguers.”
At the forum, candidates were also asked to share their plans on protecting young LGBTQ+ people from abuse and discrimination.
DuBois-Walton spoke of creating “trans-friendly spaces” in public schools, focusing on anti-bullying enforcement, and increasing community support networks.
“We have a responsibility in our community and through our policies that we put in place to create a more affirming and responsive community,” she said.
Torres invoked a need to understand mental health and young peoples’ vulnerabilities.
Elicker said that his administration will continue to work closely with the New Haven Pride Center, which has grown in recent years. Being welcoming to all people is part of the the city and his administration’s values, he said, pointing to efforts to combat antisemitism and anti-Asian hate.
Roughly 40 ward committee members attended Thursday’s online event. They plan to reconvene in person before the citywide Democratic Party convention in July to discuss the candidates and vote by secret ballot to recommend whom their committee chairs should support.
