After National Search, Mayor Stays Home, Taps Karl Jacobson As Top Cop

NEW HAVEN, CT — Less than two weeks after naming City Chief Administrative Officer Regina Rush-Kittle as acting police chief, and after a near two-month nationwide search, Mayor Justin Elicker said the best person for the job was "right here at home, right here in front of our face.”

Assistant New Haven Police Department Chief Karl Jacobson was tapped by Elicker to lead the department.

"The thing that most impressed me (about Jacobson) is example after example of his genuineness and commitment to the community. He shows up after hours. He knows people's names in the community," Elicker said, including crime victims and "perpetrators."

Elicker said that after the far-reaching and "robust" search, 15 "highly qualified" candidates were selected for interviews and Jacobson was one of those 15.

"He was really prepared in the interview process, and his desire to be chief was deep and significant. He earned this job," Elicker said. "I'm confident he'll become the next chief of police," Elicker said adding that he expects the Board of Alders to confirm Jacobson in early July.

“Assistant Chief Jacobson and I share a similar vision for the New Haven Police Department," Elicker was later quoted as saying in a news release. "One of utilizes community-based policing, one of deep respect and partnership with the community, and one of a holistic approach to public safety that moves beyond a policing-only paradigm."

Jacobson said he was, "thankful for the trust in me."

"I never got into this job to be the chief of police," he said during a City Hall news briefing.

Having served as assistant police chief since 2019 when then-Chief Otoniel Reyes left the post, Jacobson said Monday that in that role, fellow officers told him to "Take the job because you care."

Jacobson, a 15-year veteran of the NHPD, said he'd "be there" for the community.

"I'm going to be there for you. Doesn't matter what time of day or night, I'm going to be there for you."

"I love the City of New Haven, I love our residents and I love our police officers, and I am committed to doing everything I can to keep our residents, officers, streets and community safe,” Jacobson said.

“New Haven is a great place to live, work and raise a family, and working together we are going to keep it that way and build an even safer city, a stronger city and a city with deeper police-community bonds than ever before," Jacobson said.

On May 10, now-former Acting Chief Renee Dominguez announced she was retiring. That same day, Elicker tapped City Chief Administrative Officer Regina Rush-Kittle to serve as acting police chief. Dominguez was rejected as the city's police chief by the Board of Alders.

In late April, a Superior Court judge has ordered that New Haven Police Chief Renee Dominguez "vacate" her post as the city's top cop, court records show.

The lawsuit against the city and Dominguez was filed in January by Bosie Kimber and Donarell Elder. Kimber, a civil rights activist, is pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church in New Haven. Elder is pastor of Way of the Cross church.

In June 2021, Dominguez was named interim chief by Mayor Justin Elicker. In November 2021, he announced he'd nominated her to be the permanent chief. That action was rejected by the Board of Alders last December.

Jacobson's tenure with NHPD

In his current capacity as Assistant Police Chief, Jacobson oversees Patrol Operations, the Detectives Division, SWAT, Emergency Services and School Resource Officers, among other responsibilities.

Over his 15-year career at the New Haven Police Department, beginning in 2007, Jacobson has risen through the ranks from Police Officer to Sergeant to Police Lieutenant to Assistant Chief of the Detective Division to now the dual role of Assistant Chief of the Detective Division and Patrol Operations. Prior to the that, Jacobson served for nine years as a Police Officer and Task Force Officer with the East Providence Police Department in Rhode Island from 1998 to 2007. Assistant Police Chief Jacobson has received multiple local, state and national awards and recognition for his distinguished service, including the United States Attorneys Director’s Award (2018), the “Top Cop Award” from the National Association of Police Organizations (2018), and the AFT Director’s Award (2017), among others. Jacobson received a Bachelor of Science in Sociology & Justice Studies from Rhode Island College and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of New Haven.

Over the past year, Assistant Chief Jacobson has helped lead the New Haven Police Department in their work in reducing violent crime. Compared to last year, between April 2021 and April 2022, homicides dropped from 10 to 3 and nonfatal shootings decreased from 26 to 20 through a combination of community policing approaches as well as innovative crime reduction partnerships and programs for past offenders, where they receive social service supports and employment opportunities to help facilitate their reentry back into society. The City of New Haven and New Haven Police Department are committed to building on this progress in the months and year ahead.

Mayor Justin Elicker, Assistant Police Chief Karl Jacobson, Acting Police Chief Regina Rush-Kittle, Kelli Jacobson (daughter of Karl Jacobson)