I have a new LINK–check it out under “LINKS” It is called “ONLY IN BRIDGEPORT” by my former Bpt Post colleague Lennie Grimaldi
UPDATE: I AM GOING TO RUN A FEW LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FROM THE NEW HAVEN REGISTER FROM CHESHIRE RESIDENTS.
LETTER: ‘We deserve a tax break, not an increase’
LETTER: Special Interests Get Way
LETTER: Turn away from slash, burn, attack; listen instead
For the second night in a row, I went to the Town Hall-this time to address the Public Safety Commission.
I went there because an item on the agenda caught my eye–the Police and Fire Monthly reports.
I do watch to see that the Police Monthly Reports are kept up to date-which they are. This is important because there is no Police Commission in this town, so these “Reports” are the only way the public can know what is taking place down at 500 Highland Avenue.
When Gary Walberg was the Police Chief several years ago, and the idea of a Police Commission was being tossed around-it met and is still meeting with resistance-we worked together to ensure that at least these reports were kept up to date and he faithfully made sure they were. So that is the history behind these reports.
Now I will be honest-I DON’T have a problem with the Fire Department’s Monthly Reports-they are very detailed and what I like the most is that they list all the calls they go on.
I wish it were the same for the Cheshire Police Department, so they were my focus.
Now when I went to the meeting Wednesday night, I brought along an old copy of the Amity Observer of which I was the editor in 1996. I told them that what they were looking at was a REAL NEWSPAPER with REAL NEWS gathered the old fashioned way–attending as many meetings of as many different departments as possible-putting in as many letters to the editor as possible-and attending as many community functions as possible.
I used to have a fairly large section on Police News. In fact, I told them that the Orange Police Department, which was one of the three towns that made up “Amity,” the others being Bethany and Woodbridge, was very cooperative and very open about their police news.
I told the Public Safety Commission that I would go down to the OPD every Tuesday afternoon, and actually get a “printout” from the records secretary of all the calls the OPD went on every day. It would be a time log, like what the Cheshire Fire Department lists in the Cheshire Herald. For example: 0700-dispatch run; 0830-accident; 1130-burglar alarm at (local business) etc, etc.
Whatever piqued my interest, I would ask the records secretary for the police reports on those incidents and thus made my police log reports for the week which would appear in the newspaper.
The OPD was so good about this, that the few times I could not make it to the police station-THEY WOULD CALL ME AND GIVE ME THE REPORTS OVER THE PHONE!!
Now I don’t know who is dropping the ball here-whether it is the local paper or the CPD, but you know there is a lot more going on in town than “headlight out” “traveling unreasonably fast” and “DUI.”
In fact, when an item is generated in the Monthly Reports, it seems to be a bit “sketchy” Like, information is “missing.”
For example, the report might say: police are investigating a series of housebreaks in the east side of town”
WHERE ARE THEY TAKING PLACE?? WHAT ITEMS HAVE BEEN TAKEN??
When I read sketchy information like this, it is akin to someone telling you that they have some juicy information “but I can’t say what it is”
What is the point then of even releasing this information ?
Look, I am not saying, as I told the Public Safety Commission Wednesday night, that every sordid detail of the police investigation be released–NO NOT AT ALL. I understand the police cannot release details into their “techniques” or what they know, especially if it is an active investigation. I understand that.
BUT, the public under Freedom of Information, is entitled to know SOME DETAILS. Especially if a person was arrested. We are entitled to know the name, address, where the person was arrested and why.
Of course, if it is a residential burglary or crime against a person-that person or persons are ENTITLED TO PRIVACY!! NO DOUBT.
But just releasing: “a man was arrested and charged with burglary in connection with a housbreak in the north end of town-is NOT CUTTING IT!!
WHO?? WHERE?? WHAT?? These are the missing links.
Now I did meet with a little resistance from a member of the Public Safety Commission Wednesday night who wanted to know why this info should be released.
WHY?? FOI and the PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO KNOW!!
I admit–this is a STICKY WICKET!! It is a balancing act between public information and peoples’ privacy and the police departments right to keep their investigation and their case intact until it goes to court.
So, in a Democracy–it is a lot harder. We have a society that is based on freedom of speech and press and the people’s right to know. How much the average person should or should not know will be debated in this country until the end of time, I can assure you.
No one, including myself, expects the CPD to divulge sensitive information that may compromise an investigation or a case. Not at all. But using that as an excuse to keep things quiet is not acceptable.
Bottom line: when you get arrested and CHARGED with an offense it is public information. Now myself and many people I know have been on that side of the fence, and we have had to take it on the chin in plain English. It is not different strokes for different folks.
Remember-Lady Justice has a blindfold over her eyes–EXACTLY.
Not releasing “certain” information that the public is entitled to see just because “it might look bad” is ridiculous.
No one can expect any police department to be everywhere every minute of the day. Crime is going to happen. That is a fact of life.
It is up to you-the average citizen-to co-operate with the police, help them, be their eyes and ears-but it is also up to you- average citizen-to ensure that government is held ACCOUNTABLE for their actions or even inactions.
Of course the authority does not want to release information-that is normal. BUT THE PRESS, especially our local paper, has to put pressure on them to keep the information flowing, i.e., the information the public is entitled to!!
From my conversation with the Public Safety Commission Wednesday night, including Lt. Markella, I understand the CPD puts out Press Releases on arrests and other activity that the local paper does not bother picking up.
My question: WHY??
Instead of “headlight out” and “traveling unreasonably fast” which is OK, get the REAL NEWS WILL YOU!!
Remember, the Town of Cheshire spends over $4 million a year of your taxpayer money to keep the Police Department running. I KNOW they do a lot more than traffic tickets!!
And no, we don’t just release info when it suits us either CPD.
I suggest the Herald go down to the Police Department and ask for the printout of all the calls the CPD went on for the day or the week for that matter, not just that little race sheet book that has their “pickings” in it.
I tried to ask for that printout several years ago and that is when I received THE E-MAIL!!
It was like a warning–step back!!
It was a panic, basically because apparently the asleep at the wheel press never asked for this!!
Then these papers want to know why they are failing- THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS!!
I am going to meet with Lt. Markella sometime next week to go over these “Press Releases” Hopefully, the Herald will beat me to it and start reporting the police NEWS!!
November’s monthly reports, which I will be providing a link to: are getting better. There is a lot more detail. We still do not know WHO from Bridgeport got arrested which we have a right to know. Now, if this person is an informer or witness, of course we DON’T have a right to know. But, they wet our beaks by telling us this person GOT ARRESTED-SO WE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHO HE IS!!
I am giving you some examples of how the Ct. Post handles the police news: THE WAY IT SHOULD BE!!
Click here for Ct Post Police Log
Now compare the way the CPD releases their Police Blotter
click here for CPD Monthly Reports for November
It is in all honesly getting better-and the fact that Lt. Markella was very receptive to me, offering to let me come down and look at the press releases says volumes, especially here in Secretville.
To end: here are two links explaining what information the public has a right to in the matter of police business:
