Mayor: 'Serious Concerns' About Police Portrayal, Impact From Law

EAST HAVEN, CT — Mayor Joseph A. Carfora said he has concerns about the recently-passed Police Accountability Act.

Here's his full statement:

"As the Mayor of East Haven, I would like to reaffirm to the citizens of our community my administration’s expectations as to how all members of my administration – each and every one of us, should conduct themselves. Simply stated, I believe that every person, regardless of their race, color, creed, National origin or sexual orientation should be treated fairly, respectfully and with dignity - we will not tolerate anything less.

Having said that, I have serious concerns about how law enforcement has been portrayed in some circles, and I also have concerns about the impact East Haven and all Connecticut cities and towns are going to have with the recently passed “An Act Concerning Police Accountability”. Among those concerns is the fact that this bill was passed by both State legislative bodies with little or no public debate, no law enforcement input, and no input from the State’s Mayors and First Selectmen.

Many of the “reforms” in this bill have already been put in place by the East Haven police department and most other departments throughout the State. No other police department in Connecticut has undergone stricter scrutiny in the areas of recruitment, training and accountability than ours and I’m proud to say today we have become a model in the law enforcement community.

There are many challenges and provisions in this new law which we will need to assess and ultimately implement. I promise to keep you informed as we progress with them.
Remember this though, our well-trained and disciplined police officers go to work every day risking their lives to serve and protect our community- they are fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons & daughters and every day, on every shift, they take on an incredible responsibility just hoping to do their duty and return home safely. We owe them the same respect and courtesy that we demand of them.

Now I’m not naive, I know East Haven, like every other city and town throughout the country, has its share of societal issues and that there are people who feel disenfranchised, so we must ensure that we have every possible protection in place so that all our citizens feel safe and are treated fairly.

In closing, I want to say that, as I did in this year’s budget, I will continue to properly fund our police department and all our emergency services. Public safety is, and will remain, my most important responsibility and priority. God bless you and our great country."