New Haven Cop Charged With 'Patronizing A Prostitute,' Police Say

NEW HAVEN, CT — A New Haven police officer charged Sunday with "patronizing a prostitute" while on duty had been under investigation, and on administrative leave, since last April, according to police.

Christopher Troche, a member of the New Haven Police Department since 2018, turned himself in, police spokesperson Scott Shumway said in a news release.

On April 5, a woman reported to another patrol officer "unwanted contact by" Troche, Shumway said, adding that report led to an Internal Affairs Division investigation.

"After a lengthy criminal investigation, the facts of the incidents were presented to the State’s Attorney’s office, and it was determined that probable cause existed to obtain an arrest warrant," Shumway said.

That warrant is sealed, Shumway said, so few other details are available. So it's not clear if there were multiple "incidents," and if Troche has been on a paid or unpaid administrative leave for the past seven months.

Troche was charged with patronizing a prostitute, Shumway said, and was given a $25,000 bond. The case does not yet appear on the state judiciary.

In the news release, Shumway wrote that police take "all complaints on officers that violate the public’s trust serious."

"We work extremely hard to be transparent to the community and offer many ways for citizens to make complaints against officers. It was extremely important to this investigation that the victim trusted that the New Haven Police Department would take the complaint serious and fully investigate, regardless of the nature and immigration status. I commend the officer who took the complaint for the professionalism displayed, as well as the professionalism and integrity of the Internal Affairs Division," he wrote.