Lies Lies Lies by the Thompson Twins

Cheshire Police defend response time

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Article Last Updated: 07/31/2007 03:20:49 PM EDT

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Cheshire police say reports that it took 30 minutes to reach the burning home where a mother and her two daughters were found dead are “absolutely false.”

The state’s attorney who is prosecuting the case has asked that the exact time when officers were dispatched to the scene not be immediately released, police say.

But Lt. Jay Markella, a spokesman for the Cheshire Police Department, denied that it took police a half-hour to get to the home where Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters died after being held hostage.

“Any reporting of a 30-minute response time is absolutely false,” he told The Associated Press on Monday. “I don’t know where they’re getting their information from.”

“I am proud of the way this department responded,” Markella said. “It seems some aspects of the media are just looking for a scapegoat as to why this happened.”

William Petit Sr., the father of the lone survivor of the July 23 fire, said his family does not have a problem with how long it took police to arrive at the home.

“As far as we know, the response time was immediate,” he said. “We’re very satisfied with the police response.”

The killings have attracted national media attention. In addition to a few media reports, some Cheshire residents have publicly questioned whether there was too long a lag time between the initial 911 call and police arriving at the home.

State police, which is the lead investigator in the case, have said Jennifer
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Hawke-Petit was taken by one of the suspects to a local Bank of America branch and withdrew money shortly after 9:30 a.m. Bank officials then notified Cheshire police about the suspicious withdrawal.

The time of that call has not been released.

The local bank branch declined comment, and a call was left seeking comment with the Bank of America headquarters.

Debbie Biggins, a Cheshire resident who was in the bank at the time, said Hawke-Petit looked pale and tense. She said it was around 9:25 a.m., but noted that she did not have her watch on.

“I knew something was wrong,” Biggins said. “She was doing what she could to save her family.”

A teller handed a white piece of paper to an office manager, who then went into her office, Biggins said. Police arrived within five minutes, she said.

“They were there fast,” Biggins said.

Biggins said the bank was supposed to open at 9 a.m., but opened at least 15 minutes late.

Citing the state’s Freedom of Information Act, the AP has requested information on what time police were called.

Lt. Paul Vance, spokesman for the state police, said last week that Cheshire officers were “immediately dispatched” to the bank and the Petit home.

When the first officer arrived, he saw the suspects, 26-year-old Joshua Komisarjevsky of Cheshire and 44-year-old Steven Hayes of Winsted, leaving the burning home and get into one of the Petits’ vehicles. Police said they rammed the officer’s cruiser to get out of the driveway and tried to ram two more police cars down the road that were blocking the street, but were captured at gunpoint.

Court documents indicate the men were arrested at 10:01 a.m.

After firefighters put out the fire, they discovered inside the home the bodies of Hawke-Petit, 48, and her two daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11. Dr. William Petit, 50, badly beaten, escaped from the burning house.

Hawke-Petit was strangled and her daughters died of smoke inhalation, according to autopsy results and police.

Komisarjevsky and Hayes, convicted burglars with lengthy nonviolent criminal records, were out on parole when the attack occurred. They’ve been charged with capital felony, assault, arson, sexual assault and numerous other crimes in the homicides.

Markella said he is asking the public and media to be patient about getting information about the police response times and any tapes of phone calls. He said the department does not want to compromise the New Haven State’s Attorney Michael Dearington’s death penalty case against Komisarjevsky and Hayes.

“He says don’t release them. I say good for him,” Markella said. “We would hate to see any release of information from preventing the individuals from receiving what they deserve, and that would be death.”

Home Invasion

One of the more frightening and potentially dangerous crimes that can occur to a family is a home invasion robbery. A home invasion is when robbers force their way into an occupied home, apartment or hotel room to commit a robbery or other crimes. It is particularly frightening because it violates our private space and the one place that we think of as our sanctuary.

Home invasion is like the residential form of an automobile carjacking and it’s on the rise. Like the crime of carjacking, most police agencies don’t track home invasions as a separate crime. Most police agencies and the FBI will statistically record the crime as a residential burglary or a robbery. Without the ability to track the specific crime of home invasion, little can be done to alert the public as to the frequency of occurrence in their community or devise a law enforcement plan of action to control it.

Criminal Profile

Residential burglars work mostly during the day and when a residence is more likely to be unoccupied. Most burglars work alone and tend to probe a neighborhood looking for the right residence and the right opportunity. Alarm signs and decals, bars on windows, strong locks and doors, big dogs, and alert neighbors can sometimes deter burglars. Also, burglars will avoid a confrontation and will usually flee when approached. Most burglaries do not result in violence unless the criminal is cornered and uses force to escape.

Home invasion robbers, in contrast, work more often at night and on weekends when homes are more likely to be occupied. The home invader will sometimes target the resident as well as the dwelling. The selection process may include a woman living alone, a wealthy senior citizen or a known drug dealer, for example. It is not unheard of for a robber to follow you home based on the value of the car you are driving or the jewelry you are wearing. Some home invaders might have been in your home before as a delivery person, installer or repair vendor. Home robbers rarely work alone and rely on an overwhelming physical confrontation to gain initial control and instill fear in you. The greatest violence usually occurs during the initial sixty seconds of the confrontation and home invaders often come prepared with handcuffs, rope, duct tape, and firearms. Some in-home robbers appear to enjoy the intimidation, domination, and violence and some even claim it’s a “rush.”

Dangerous Trends

The act of committing a home invasion is escalating much like carjacking. The reason for the increase seems to follow a similar pattern. Much like automobiles, the traditional commercial targets for robbers like convenience stores and fast-food restaurants have hardened themselves against criminal attack and have reduced available cash. Technology has allowed commercial establishments to install affordable video surveillance systems, silent alarms, and other anti-crime deterrent devices. A residence, by comparison, is now a more attractive choice.

Home invaders know that they won’t have to overcome alarm systems when the home is occupied or be worried about video cameras and silent alarms. Unlike robbing a retail store, home invaders expect privacy once inside your home and won’t have to deal with the police suddenly driving up or customers walking in. Once the offenders take control of a residence they can force the occupants to open safes, locate hidden valuables, supply keys to the family car, and PIN numbers to their ATM cards. Home invaders will try to increase their escape time by disabling the phones and sometimes will leave their victims bound or incapacitated. It is not unheard of for robbers to load up the victim’s car with valuables and drive away without anyone in the neighborhood taking notice.

Method of Operation

The most common point of attack is through the front door or garage. Sometimes the home invader will simply kick open the door and confront everyone inside. More common is when the home invaders knock on the door first or ring the bell. The home invader hopes that the occupant will simply open the door, without question, in response to their knock. Unfortunately, many people do just that.

Home invaders will sometimes use a ruse or impersonation to get you to open the door. They have been known to pretend to be delivering a package, flowers or lie about an accident like hitting your parked car. Once the door is opened for them, the home invaders will use an explosive amount of force and threats to gain control of the home and produce fear in the victims. Once the occupants are under control the robbers will begin to collect your valuables.

Some home robbers have been known to spend hours ransacking a residence while the homeowners are bound nearby watching in terror. Some robbers have been known to eat meals, watch TV, or even take a nap. A major fear is that the robbers might commit more violence like sexual assault or even murder. Some robbers have kidnapped and forced a victim to withdraw cash from their ATM machine or take them to their small business to rob it as well.

Prevention Steps

The same tactics used to prevent daytime burglaries will go a long way to preventing forced entry home robberies. If you can delay a home invader at the point of entry then you have a chance of deterring them or have time to call the police. A solid core door, strong locks with reinforced strike plates, and reinforced window devices will stop most forced entries. See my web page on Home Security Tips for more information. Some homeowners build safe rooms inside their home to allow them to retreat or escape the violence while giving them valuable time to call the police.

The weakest home security link is the home occupant who fails to lock doors or windows or who will open the door without question at the sound of a knock. The best defense against home invasion is education and planning. Parents should hold a family meeting to discuss how to answer the door when someone knocks. Another important topic is how to act should your home or family be invaded. Once you know how home robbers work, you can effectively prevent most occurrences. See also Home Invasion Family Survival Tips for more information.

Remember these important security steps:

• Install solid core doors, heavy duty locks, and window security devices
• Lock all doors, windows, and garages at all times
• Use four three-inch screws to secure heavy duty lock strike plates in the door frame
• Use the door peephole BEFORE opening the door
• Use your porch light to help you to see clearly outside
• Never rely on a chain-latch as a barrier to partially open the door
• Never open the door to strangers or solicitors
• Call the police if the stranger acts suspicious
• Alert your neighbors to suspicious solicitors
• Hold a family meeting to discuss home security plans
• Set the home perimeter alarm at night, if you have one

For More Information

• Home Security – Burglary Prevention Tips
• Home Security for the Christmas Holidays
• Family Security Tips
• Home Invasion Survival Tips
• Self-Defense – Pepper Spray
• Panic Room or Safe room

by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM

I have been asked to comment about reports surfacing in the news media about the Cheshire Police Department’s “response time.”

When I was a reporter I dealt with facts, not second or third hand speculation. It is one thing for myself and other bloggers to think out loud. We are not members of the media.

But it is another thing to speculate in the media. A lot of things don’t make sense in this investigation because every detail was not released. A real time line has not been released and detailed information about the crime not released because law enforcement claims it would hinder the “investigation.” You are not going to get blood from a stone. These reporters have to hit the streets, talk to their sources and witnesses to find out information. Calling up the Cheshire Police Department and asking them to comment on speculation and rumors is going to yield the answers they are getting.

Think about it, we don’t even know the REAL truth about the Kennedy Assasination and that was in 1963!!! Remember all that speculation? A second gunman at the grassy knoll- the alleged Mafia involvement. It went on and on and is still going on and on!! Let’s look at what is being alleged:

The gas the alleged home invasion burglars used was purchased en route from the bank to the home: it was purchased at night at two different gas stations: the alleged burglars parked their car at Quarry Village and walked a mile and a half down Mountain Road in the early morning hours last Monday: they were supposedly carrying two gas cans and a rope: they supposedly bought a pellet rifle at a large retail store: one of the alleged robbers was waiting outside the bank while Mrs. Petit went inside alone to withdraw the money: the best rumor I heard was that the Cheshire Police Department responded in a timely manner to the Petit home but waited for the State Police to arrive. Come on everyone: let it rest. RE READ THE ABOVE ARTICLE.

I have my disagreements with the Cheshire Police Department and some of their tactics, but when I had to call them, they have responded quickly. One time our family thought there was suspicious activity in the area: the police came quickly and were able to catch the person.

Remember, they DID apprehend the home invasion suspects. The bottom line is that people are looking for a reason not to believe something like this could happen. Crime randomly happens. You could be picked for a criminal activity just by the way you look or where you are walking or how you are dressed. Someone I know was targeted by a criminal just because they were driving slow!!!

“Oh there has got to be more to it,” people are saying. “This would not have happened, if the police were faster in responding.”

Believe it or not, yes it would have happened and it did. This is the world we live in now sadly. People are stalked and targeted all the time all over this country and all over the world.

IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

There was an “informal” meeting on July 17th between Inland-Wetlands and Cheshire Rt. 10 Northend Development. I will be posting the minutes of this meeting within a day or so. Some people have questioned why these minutes are still not on the P and Z website. Good question. It’s too bad people have to take it upon themselves, as I have had to do in the past with the Police Department Monthly reports, and go down to the Town Clerk’s office, get a copy of the minutes and scan them into the blog for people to see when it can be done in a flash by the P and Z office. I know my colleague at the Cheshire Town Post has the minutes. I will post them within a few days. Hopefully by then, the Town Government will see fit to post all the minutes of the meeting, not what they think applies.

Update 31-July-2007

P and Z minutes:
Click Here to Download

HARTFORD — (AP)
A dispute over a ban on public speaking at selectmen meetings in Canterbury has landed in federal court.The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union Wednesday asked a federal judge to reinstate public participation at meetings while its lawsuit against the eastern Connecticut town goes forward.

U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Smith heard testimony, but did not issue any ruling on the request and directed lawyers from both sides to return to court Aug. 23.

The ACLU is suing the town because First Selectman Neil Dupont Sr. banned public speaking at Board of Selectmen meetings after an incident involving resident Jeanette Kildea.

The lawsuit claims Dupont and the board are violating state and federal freedom of speech laws by prohibiting public participation at meetings.

The suit asks for an acknowledgment of wrongdoing from the board, reinstatement of public participation at selectmen meetings and other damages, including legal fees.
“The only reason I stopped it (public participation) was because it was getting out of hand,” Dupont testified Wednesday.

Attorneys representing Dupont presented evidence depicting a hostile atmosphere at selectmen’s meetings.

Witnesses for the ACLU spoke of the importance of public participation at town boards and commissions.

“I’ve never failed to learn something from public participation and I firmly believe there’s no downside,” Walter Moriarity, an alternate member of the Planning and Zoning commission testified.

No public participation has been allowed at Board of Selectmen meetings since March. Dupont confirmed in court Wednesday 10 meetings have been canceled since January.
— — —
Information from: Norwich Bulletin

IN OTHER NEWS:

People everywhere are still reeling over this tragedy in town. I did attend an informal discussion over the weekend where many people were still questioning some of the details released by law enforcement. This event is so horrible I really do not want to speak about it out in public anymore. One of my children who lives out of state says he does not want to come to Cheshire anymore. I know he is overreacting, but this has had an effect on everyone. I am glad to see the Town is offering the counseling. You know if you need to speak to someone–and if you do, please take advantage of the counseling the town is offering.

I will tell you this much–some of the discussions I heard over the weekend left more questions than answers. Many people are in denial–this is why the counseling is needed. I know many of you have contacted me through the “underground” channels and are still shaken. To you all I can say is that you have to give it time. You have to talk about it, talk about this as much as possible until you feel relieved. I think a lot of people in Cheshire felt shielded from events such as this. Now their beliefs are rattled.

NO ONE ANYWHERE IS IMMUNE FROM CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. There is no “perfectville.” If you actually live here or in any suburban town and did not lock doors or close windows at night–you were either beyond naive-in a dreamworld or just plain not with it. I used to have to yell at my husband at night to close the windows and lock the doors. “Oh we don’t have to do that here, this is Cheshire not Bridgeport.

You don’t know how I am holding back now–I am from Bridgeport and that really hurts. I told my husband that what he would say was mean and arrogant. Oh yes, it also says in the Bible that “Pride Goeth Before A Fall.”

You can just imagine what I want to say now and how I feel now (Like this time line doesn’t make sense or its some sort of miracle of physics that one person could be in two places at the same time for starters).

Now we are hearing of another Cheshire resident killed–this time it was a car accident on Rt. 68 this weekend.

One last look at this home invasion story from the Waterbury Republican American.

Police will say no more Law enforcement officials will release no more information in Cheshire slayings as they attempt to build an airtight case

BY EMILY BEAVER REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

CHESHIRE — State and local law enforcement officials are withholding all further disclosures of the timing and details of their response to the home invasion that claimed the lives of three residents Monday.

Lt. J. Paul Vance Sr., spokesman for the Connecticut State Police, said all the information in the incident, including when Cheshire police received a 911 call from a Bank of America teller and when they arrived at the scene has been sealed as part of the investigation.

Vance said the release of the information might jeopardize the effort to build an airtight case against Steven Hayes, 44, of Winsted and Joshua Komisarjevsky, 26, of Cheshire in connection with the killings.

Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters Hayely, 17, and Michaela, 11, were killed and their Sorghum Mill Drive home badly burned in the course of the attack that lasted for six hours.

Dr. William Petit Jr., survived the attack, but was badly beaten. He was released from Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury on Friday.

The teller called police when Jennifer Hawke-Petit was driven to the bank by one of the suspects and forced to withdraw $15,000. In the process of making the withdrawal, Hawke-Petit alerted the teller that she needed help.

A Cheshire woman who was in the bank at the time told the New Haven Register that she could sense something was wrong with Hawke-Petit. “She looked taut, tense and very pale,” Deb Biggns said.

Although law enforcement officials have provided a general timeline that places the first call to police at about 9:30 a.m. and the arrest of the suspects near 10 a.m., what transpired during the intervening time has lead to rampant speculation and rumors.

Hayes and Komisarjevsky were spotted running from the home on the arrival of the first Cheshire police officer and the suspects rammed three police cars in a car they stole from the Petit home before they were apprehended.

Somewhere in the approximately half-hour period between the first call and their attempted escape, Hayes and Komisarjevsky are alleged to have strangled Hawke-Petit and set the home on fire.

Hayley Petit and Michaela Petit died from smoke inhalation, according to the State Medical Examiner’s Office.

Lt. Jay Markella, Cheshire police spokesman, referred all inquiries to the state police.

New Haven State’s Attorney Michael Dearington plans to seek capital felony murder charges against the two career criminals who each are being held on $15 million bonds.

My family like everyone else, has been moved by this terrible tragedy in our town. Now I am originally from Bridgeport which unfortunately has seen its fair share of crime and tragedy. But even I must tell you I have never seen or heard anything such as this event. These two people obviously had some sort of anger against society–I don’t know. We all get angry at the world. Most of us learn how to deal with it. I like to use my artistic outlet. The Underground Town Hall has been such an outlet for me and I am grateful for all the people who hit my website daily. I am not a well known person, and not in politics. I am just an ordinary person from Cheshire.

Now Cheshire is on the map–this story carried all over the world. People just can’t believe this can happen. Many people keep saying this is not the real story–there must be more to it–the police are holding back. It is hard to fathom that there are some people so demented that they act in this manner. They channel their hatred and frustration on other innocent people. The sad fact is: there are people in this world that want to hurt and take from you. The world is full of stalkers, rapists, thieves and murderers. What can the average person do? Keep vigilant. Look around you when you are in the public. Look when you get out of your car. See who is around you. Watch yourself all the time. Lock your doors, close your windows at night. If you are a woman and driving alone, do not ever pull up next to a car so that they can see you are alone. Stagger back a bit. I always worked nights and in many instances had to drive great distances late in the evening to get home. I tried to take different routes when I could. I always keep aware of my surroundings. I remember several years ago, I was driving home late from one of my jobs, when a car behind me started flashing its lights. I would not pull over.

The car continued to flash its lights and blow its horn. I kept driving. I ended up calling the state police. I want to tell you my heart was pounding. I had the police on the phone when I happened to look in my rear-view mirror as my car passed under a streetlight only to discover it was a friend of mine playing a joke. Well, I pulled over and got out the car and told this “friend” that he probably came within minutes of having several state police cars which were en-route- from surrounding his vehicle. I am sure most of you have had your share of scary moments. I know many of you wonder where God is at times like this. Believe me HE is here and he sees and protects.

Approximately a year and a half ago, I went to the local supermarket in town to pick up some groceries after work. It was around 11 p.m. I did my business in the store and as I was walking to my car, a young girl around high school age came running up to me and asked me if “that car over there was mine.” I told her it was and she said someone hit the car and took off. Of course I was upset and asked her if she got the license plate number.

The young girl said she got a partial plate number. I said “great” we will call the police. Just as I started to call, her sister came up to me and said that she saw the car and knew who the person was. She said she attended school with this person. She knew the street the person lived on. She knew the address.

As we waited for the police, who came within minutes, the girl told me that the person who had hit my car and took off had harassed her in school that very day. The police found the person at home, and the car with damage parked in the driveway. Restitution was eventually made by the family. In God’s name, what are the odds of this event happening the way it did. It was a miracle.

Several months after that, a family member was traveling to New York City. In this person’s haste, they dropped their brand new cell phone. A few hours later, I recieved a call from my mom. She said a cab driver had found the phone in the seat of his cab and was trying to contact us to return the phone. Even though we did not get the phone back and had to cancel the service, it was uplifting to know this cabdriver took the time to contact one of my family members. In fact, he tried to run after the family member as this person was going into Grand Central Station but lost the person in the crowd.

Just recently, another family member was traveling again, and lost a wallet with the passport and personal family information. When I found out about this, I had to take measures to protect our privacy. We were very upset. Then a few days ago, on my answering machine, was the voice of a man who called to say he had found the passport and the other personal information in the wallet on the train tracks in New York City. The person sent the property back intact just in time for the family member to resume their travels.

We still have to be careful and had to take the precaution, but again what were the odds of that happening? The person who called said he worked for Amtrak and found the property.

Amazing. A miracle, as my husband said.

You see people, God looks out–he really does. My family has had its share of sadness and trials, and we are tested all the time. But we know God is looking out for us and he is looking out for you and for the Petit family relatives.

When another member of my family passed way almost 30 years ago, we were all devastated. The family member died at such a young age, 56. The family member dropped dead from a heart attack on Dec. 22, 1979. We mourned every year. Every year there was sadness in our thoughts and hearts.

Then nearly a decade later, I was pregnant with one of my children. The day came for the child to be born. I went to the hospital on a cold winter day. As the day came to an end, my son was born. The date on the calender—Dec. 22.

As the bible says: “Weeping Endureth for a Night, But Joy Cometh in the Morning.”