Paul Bass Photos
Catherine John: “How can decisions be made for us without us?”
Mayor watches activists denounce him outside City Hall.
Mayor Justin Elicker agreed with activists protesting him Tuesday night that his police department needs more racial diversity — then declined to advocate for at least one of the next three assistant police chiefs to be Black or Latino.
Elicker offered those remarks while watching a dozen social-justice activists stage a protest on the City Hall steps against his decision to promote Interim Chief Renee Dominguez as the permanent new chief.
The activists called during the rally for supporters to contact members of the Board of Alders to urge them to vote down Dominguez’s appointment when it comes up for confirmation over the next month. (Click here to watch the rally.)
One of their top reasons: The disappearance of cops of color from the department’s top ranks since Elicker appointed Dominguez to serve as interim chief back in January after Chief Otoniel Reyes announced his retirement.
A number of high-ranking Black cops left the department in the following months. For the first time since 1993, all the top ranks in the department — chief, assistant chief, captain — are now filled exclusively by white cops.
“How can decisions be made for us without us?” Catherine John, of the social-justice group Black and Brown United in Action, said in a speech at Tuesday evening’ s rally.
“Our voices matter too. Nothing about us can happen without us. Do not just say that Black lives matter. Show us what equity looks like!”
“I’m concerned about the exodus of so many fine officers who resided and were deeply connected, committed and invested in the well being of the city,” activist Barbara Fair wrote in a statement read at the rally by her son, Shelton Tucker. “I’m concerned about the rebuilding of a force that does not reflect the community and is becoming more militarized, nonresident and white.”
Mayor Elicker stood to the side and watched the rally, listening to all the speeches.
He told the Independent he agrees with the protesters that the department should diversify. He credited Dominguez and her crew for working hard to recruit new cops this year; 70 percent of applicants for the next cadet class are nonwhite. He added that the department’s force overall is more diverse than that of other comparable Connecticut departments.
If Dominguez is confirmed, she will immediately have a chance to diversify the top decision-making ranks — or not. Three out of four assistant police positions are open. She gets to fill them.
She told Elicker, and the Independent earlier on Tuesday, that she prefers to promote from within the department.
“It’s important for our current sworn personnel to know they have movement here, and there are places to go,” Dominguez told the Independent.
Shelton Tucker: “We want to see people who reflect us when we have problems” with the NHPD.
The question will then be how she goes about choosing from within the ranks.
She declined to disclose her plans on that score or to identify potential picks: “It’s super-important for me currently to get through these next couple of steps. I’m really focusing on preparing myself so I can be appointed if the alders” vote to confirm her, Dominguez said.
If she goes straight down the ranks, and chooses from among the captains she recently promoted, then she will not be promoting anyone Black or Latino to assistant chief. Some cops argue that the fairest way to promote people is based on rank. Similarly, Dominguez has promoted captains and lieutenants strictly by their scores on civil-service tests, rather than use the “rule of three” to pick someone who may have scored lower by a few decimal points based on other criteria.
There is precedent for a chief looking for the person considered best able to handle the assistant chief job rather than strictly by rank: A retired sergeant, Achilles “Archie” Generoso, for instance, was appointed assistant chief in 2012.
Elicker was asked Tuesday night if he has discussed the matter with Dominguez. He declined to say whether they discussed whether she would promote anyone Black or Hispanic to any of the slots.
He was asked if he would advocate for her to do so.
“I don’t micromanage,” he responded. “I think it’s important that the decision be left to the chief.”
“Thin Blue Line”
ULA’s John Lugo speaks at rally.
The protesters raised other concerns, including Dominguez’s public display earlier of this year of the “Thin Blue Line” banner in her office and her defense of cops doing the same.
Questioned about it by a concerned citizen, Dominguez at the times cited the symbol’s roots in the British military (dating back to 1854 in the Crimean War) and argued that it represents pride, professionalism, and solidarity in a dangerous profession. Others in the community have cited its association with police violence, “us versus them” military-style policing, and protection of officers against punishment for misconduct. (Read about that here and here.)
John Lugo of the immigrant rights group Unidad Latina en Acción, the rally’s emcee, argued that that the Thin Blue Line symbol represents racist, militaristic policing. He said the issue disqualifies Dominguez from leading the department.
“Last year we had thousands of people marching in the streets of New Haven” under a Black Lives Matter flag, he noted. He characterized the Thin Blue Line flag as a hostile response.
Dominguez Tuesday told the Independent she respects the view of people critical of the symbol.
“If there is a symbol that anybody in the community feels is offensive, regardless of what the meaning is, there is no room for it,” Dominguez said. “It’s not our intention to offend and cause divide. We’re here to be together.” She said that once she learned of the opposition, she removed the symbol from display in her office and ordered a uniform Covid-19 face mask policy that stopped the wearing of Thin Blue Line face coverings by officers on duty.
Process & Community Consultation
Elicker speaks after rally with José Luis Romero about his concerns over the police investigation of the fatal shooting of Romero’s nephew, Jorge Alberto Osorio Caballero.
Speakers also denounced the process by which Elicker made the police chief choice.
Elicker waited until a week after the mayoral election to announce the pick. Then, speakers charged, he made the decision without consulting the community or even his Board of Police Commissioners.
“The mayor’s decision on the police chief is his to make, and he made it without processing it with the commission, which is within his purview,” Police Commission Chair Evelise Ribeiro told the Independent Tuesday night. “We were informed after the decision was made.” Dominguez (not the mayor) called some commissioners prior to last week’s press conference to give them a head’s up.
Elicker said he did have conversations with some commissioners about whom to appoint. He declined to answer whether he made his decision before the mayoral election, saying he had been gradually arriving at his position as he watched Dominguez’s performance as interim chief.
He said he believes she has excelled at the job and earned the right to hold it permanently. That’s why he disagrees with critics who suggested he conduct a national search for police chief.
“I’ve gone door to door with the chief for recruitment. I’ve canvassed Fair Haven businesses with the chief. We’ve been at public meetings. There have been opportunities for many in the community to have conversations about how the department is doing. I think there are many data points to indicate she is a strong choice,” Elicker said.
“Ultimately this decision is one I need to own,” he said. “At the end of the day, the mayor is elected. I appoint department heads.”
"The disappearance of cops of color from the department's top ranks since Elicker appointed Dominguez to serve as interim chief back in January after Chief Otoniel Reyes announced his retirement. A number of high-ranking Black cops left the department in the following months."
Does anyone know why this happened?