There is growing frustration in one Hartford community over the city's current ability to handle complaints against the police department. The complaint from a north end neighborhood is stuck in limbo for now.
The incident caught on camera shows an officer calling the person contacting police a “snitch” as he attempts to break up a group of loiterers along the street.
The group of women that mounted the complaint said they have been working on building a relationship with the city and police department for years, but they say this incident feels like an erasure of years of progress toward a strong community police bond.
“Just letting you know someone around here is a snitch,” the officer can be heard saying in the video.
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The video is being reviewed by city officials.
The women organized with the Center for Leadership and Justice in Hartford and described the incident as hurtful.
“We have been working so hard on this issue and the police department made it seem like they were in league with helping us,” said one resident that lives in the neighborhood where the incident occurred.
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She noted she appreciates the work the City and Hartford police have put in over the last few years in protecting their neighborhood including work like adding walk beat officers and communicating with the neighborhood over concerns. But this incident hurts trust.
“The whole thing about trust, I feel like I don’t even trust them,” she described.
Pastor AJ Johnson with the Center for Leadership and Justice has been assisting in their organization.
“I became upset and frightened, because it gave weight to the folks that were not supposed to be where they were supposed to be,” Pastor Johnson said about the incident caught on camera.
When he saw the video, they decided to file a complaint with the police department. That kicked off what he describes as an arduous process toward resolution.
“We have been met with roadblocks consistently,” Johnson said.
The group attempted to work directly with the department. The department offered mediation, meaning a meeting between the women lodging the complaint and Pastor Johnson, and the officer, interim chief, and mayor.
But according to emails obtained by NBC Connecticut, talks of a mediation broke down over who would be allowed in the room for the conversation. The women wanted support in the room as they talked with the police officer and chief, but the department and city indicated just who would be allowed into the conversation would be limited.
“Then you look to the Civilian Police Review Board for an answer and it’s not functioning,” said Pastor Johnson.
The Civilian Police Review Board is a city board providing independent oversight of the police department, according to the city website.
The board hasn’t met since April. According to the city, that was the time their inspector general resigned and around that same time the board dropped below the minimum number of members to meet. They take a typical two month break in July and August.
“We are talking about the Civilian Police Review Board of cases of officer-involved incidents that is not meeting or having the opportunity to review cases,” said Pastor Johnson.
According to recent data, from 2020 to 2022, the board saw around 70 complaints a year. The 2023 and 2024 complaint data isn’t available yet, according to the city.
“This is really core to our view on transparency and accountability within policing and I think you will see these meetings back up and running really soon,” said Mayor Arunan Arulampalam.
The mayor said the board is a priority. They have an accepted offer with a new inspector general who is expected to start in November. A seventh member of the Civilian Police Review Board is also set to be confirmed by the city around the same time, meaning meetings can start again.
“That board is continuing to function and will continue to function just as aggressively as it has before,” Mayor Arulampalam said.
The mayor said part of the delay to the review of the incident was the attempt to mediate outside of the typical channels. The final email from the city to Pastor AJ Johnson came through September 17. But he said the incident is back on track to be reviewed when the board is able to pick it up.
But Pastor Johnson, along with the residents, are frustrated the mechanism to review the complaint hasn’t been functioning and the lack of mediation protocol has left them with no resolution since June. They believe that delay only hurts the city and police department.
“What we most likely have are residents that are discouraged, who walk away, and nothing ever gets resolved and creates a continued distrust with the police department,” said Pastor Johnson of other complaints on hold along with theirs.
For the residents with this complaint in limbo, they just want resolution.
“They need to make a process that works. I’m sure that other people have complaints, they have to have something in place that works,” said the Hartford resident.
The Center for Leadership and Justice and the residents are still calling for discipline of the officer.
Pastor Johnson also indicated he believes the summer break for the board should be removed or changed, citing an increase in activity in the city of Hartford during the summer.
We reached out to the Hartford Police Department for comment on the complaint but are waiting on their response to the incident.
