Fair Haven, the generator of one of the highest volumes of calls for police service in the city, had a “great week” crime-wise and quality-of-life-wise, as requests for service were significantly down over the last reporting period.
That well may be one of the only silver linings in the heavy storm cloud of the Covid-19 pandemic hanging over our neighborhoods in New Haven, and around the world.
That news came in a report that Fair Haven’s District Manager Sgt. Michael Fumiatti presented at the regular monthly meeting of the Fair Haven Community Management Team Thursday night.
The meeting was the first of the community management teams citywide to convene via the Zoom app.
Those service calls were down by 150, Fumiatti told the 38 people who came online during the two-hour virtual gathering hosted by Corresponding Secretary David Weinreb.
His explanation: “That may be due to social distancing.”
One of the few areas busy with people, Fumiatti said, was Grand Avenue, where there were a small number of complaints about insufficient social distancing.
Specifically, the complaints focused on insufficient distancing at two food markets, Ferraro’s just west of East Street, and C‑Town at the Ferry and Grand commercial center of Fair Haven.
In both instances Fumiatti reported that he responded by himself talking personally to the managers of those stores to address the issues.
“For the most part we’re not responding in person for calls for service,” he said. Officers instead are responding by upping their technology game, he added.
However, in instances of calls regarding serious issues and alarms, for example, pertaining to domestic violence or robbery, officers do indeed show up. Otherwise, the response is generally by phone.
Fumiatti reported that the police headquarters lobby is closed, as is the Blatchley Avenue substation; it opens only for the food pantry operated out of that space by the Vertical Church.
If there’s a call saying someone is demonstrating symptoms of Covid-19, “the FDNY or AMR (American Medical Rescue, that is, the ambulance) will respond.”
The protocol is then for Fumiatti’s officers to appear, but their role in such a situation is “to conduct traffic points.”
The men and women of the New York City fire department are amazing. But they are not responding to emergency calls here. That would be the NHFD. 🤓 (Sorry Allan, I couldn't resist.)
On a more serious note, the East Rock CMT also plans on holding a virtual meeting.