Update on Town's DOJ Settlement Agreement

From a speech given by Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr.:

It is a pleasure to be here this morning to update you on the extraordinary progress the Town has made in complying with the Department of Justice settlement agreement and to swear in Brent Larrabee as permanent Chief of Police.

As all of you know, in December of 2011, just two short months after a change in administrations, the Department of Justice issued a 23 page civil findings letter, citing the Town for alleged civil rights violations including claims of false arrest, excessive force, and biased policing.  

Less than a month later, while the Town was preparing to respond to the civil claims, our police family was rocked to its core when four officers were arrested on criminal charges related to the civil findings released just a month earlier.  

At that moment, with our residents growing weary, our town’s coffers running thin, and with our PD under fire – we had reached a crossroad. 

At this critical moment, I also sought out and hired veteran interim Police Chief Brent Larrabee to help restore stability and faith in our department – and he has not let us down. 

Chief Larrabee’s arrival in East Haven had an immediate calming and stabilizing effect.  With his help, we formed the Town’s first Interfaith Faith Council.  We held an open house to help connect our Town businesses, including newly opened Latino businesses, with resources offered by our police department.  And quite fortunately, we were asked to host the Latino Expo, which showcased resources available to the Latino community in the area and provided an opportunity for residents, town officials, and community groups to connect. 

The months following Chief Larrabee’s arrival were spent negotiating with the Department of Justice about recommended improvements to our PD.  Months of negotiations culminated in the signing of a “Compliance Agreement,” in which the Department of Justice agreed to conditionally dismiss any litigation in return for the Town’s promise to complete a host of policy revisions and training.  This settlement saved the Town years of protracted and costly litigation and immediately kick started healing process for our community. 

1. Appointed a compliance coordinator; 
2. Completed the 4 hour training requirement for every officer on the compliance agreement itself; 
3. Established a plan to address the needs of those with limited English-proficiency; 
4. Selected Kathy O’Toole as the Joint Compliance Expert; 
5. Obtained internal affairs training for all individuals charged with handling such investigations; 
6. Established a technology testing schedule; 
7. Appointed a community liaison officer; 
8. Established a recruitment plan to further diversify the Department;
9. Created a revised Code of Conduct; 
10. Obtained Bias-Free Policing Training; 
11. Instituted all of the training and protocols called for under the 180-day deadline requirement.

As you can see, our Police Department is rapidly moving forward and developing lasting mechanisms that will ensure our department conducts itself professionally, and with integrity and honesty. 

It’s been said before that “attitude reflects leadership.”  The leadership exhibited by Brent Larrabee in the time since his arrival has improved morale in our Department and brought out the best in all of the fine individuals who serve and protect our community.  

I’d like to take a moment to thank the men and women of our Police Department for their hard work, dedication, and commitment.  The road has not been easy, but you’ve all exhibited great poise and professionalism despite the challenges of the past year.