East Haven Police Streamline Hiring Process

The East Haven Police Department will now carry out its own testing for new candidates in order to speed up the hiring of new officers.

After running day-to-day operations over the last several months short staffed — and with several veteran officers now retiring — the East Haven Police Department has moved to streamline its process for hiring new officers. At Tuesday night's special meeting, Police Chief Brent Larrabee told the Board of Police Commissioners the department is now in the process of conducting its own required testing for qualified candidates. Upcoming Exams First up will be the Cooper Standards Physical Fitness assessment, which is taking place this Friday at East Haven High School. "And this will be administered by our own people," Larrabbe said. He added that the physical fitness testing will be followed by a written exam, which will be handled by the …

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Special Police Commission Meeting Tuesday

The East Haven Board of Police Commissioners will meet tonight at the Town Beach House beginning at 7 p.m.

After cancelling last month's regularly scheduled meeting amid a dispute with the Mayor's Office over the use of former Town Attorney Patricia Cofrancesco as an independent counsel, the East Haven Board of Police Commissioners will hold a special meeting tonight. The meeting, which will begin at 7 p.m., will take place at the Town Beach House. The agenda is posted in the gallery that accompanies this article. Independent Counsel Cofrancesco — the town attorney under former Democratic Mayor April Capone — stepped down from her role as the board's attorney on May 8. The move ended a weeks-long battle with Republican Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr's administration over whether or not the board had the authority to hire its own independent legal …

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Several Injured After Truck Hits Bus

More than two dozen people were sent to the hospital — none with life-threatening injuries — after a box truck rear ended a transit bus along Frontage Road in East Haven.

Update at 3:55 p.m. East Haven Police have released the names of the bus and the truck drivers. The truck's operator has been reported as Juan Rodriguez, 28, of Allentown, Penn. And the CT Transit bus driver has been reported as Alexander Diosa, 37, of Cheshire. Update at 3:30 p.m. Monday East Haven Police are asking for the public's help in piecing together what led a truck to rear end a CT Transit bus along Frontage Road during Monday morning rush hour. According to East Haven Police Lt. Joseph Slane, the department’s accident reconstruction team is now investigating the incident. "Preliminary reports indicate that the CT Transit bus was stopped on Frontage Road in front of Chili’s restaurant at a bus stop," Slane stated in a written …

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[UPDATED] Retired East Haven Police Officer Arrested

Former town official Paul Hongo says the alleged theft of money last March from the police department's evidence locker may have been part of an organized effort to muddy the Capone Administration's reputation.

UPDATE at 8:30 a.m. on Friday Paul Hongo Jr — the town's former deputy director of town affairs under former Mayor April Capone — has said the alleged theft of money last March from the East Haven Police Department's evidence locker may have been part of an organized effort to smear the reputation of the Capone Administration, according to a New Have Register report this morning. In April 2010, then Mayor Capone put former Police Chief Leonard Gallo on paid administrative leave following the critical preliminary report on the department's operations from the federal Department of Justice.  The Justice Department came in to investigate complaints of racial profiling and abuse of Latino residents and others. Then, in June 2011, the Board of …

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Julie Weisberg

1:09 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012

Richard: Looks like you got the answer to the question of the amount via the warrant for D'Amato's arrest. It was just over $1,300. http://patch.com/A-txm2   more ›

Go Ahead, East Haven: 'Ask the Chief'

East Haven Interim Police Chief Brent Larrabee is blogging on East Haven Patch — and wants to answer your questions!

It's the first Monday of the month, and that means it's time for East Haven Patch readers to "ask the chief." East Haven Interim Police Chief Brent Larrabee is one of the more recent additions to our growing Local Voices section of bloggers. Larrabee, who was appointed to his post by Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr on Feb. 15, now writes a blog once a month. The monthly posts will serve as a vehicle to answer readers' questions about the East Haven Police Department. On the first Monday of each month, we'll publish an article asking readers to post their questions in the comments section. Questions can also be emailed to askthechief@easthavenpolice.com. Then, we'll close submission on Wednesday at 6 p.m. And from there, we'll pick four of those …

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Rosie

9:45 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012

Becki, my response wasn't directed to you. It was to Mr. Hoff, who had a comment posted, but now it is gone. He was asking why there was a subway bag in a patrol car, and if they were shopping while on duty. My response was that perhaps they were having lunch. I apologize if you thought I was talking to you. Apparently Mr. Hoff saw how ridiculous and childish his comment was and deleted it.   more ›

Hearing to Remove Commissioners Cancelled

East Haven Assistant Town Attorney Frank Kolb has reportedly cancelled the meeting he had called to seek the removal of the remaining three police commissioners appointed by former Mayor April Capone.

It appears that one week after the East Haven Board of Police Commissioners cancelled its regularly scheduled meeting, the Mayor's Office has followed suit with its effort to remove three of that board's commissioners. The May 1 public hearing called by Assistant Town Attorney Frank Kolb that sought the removal of the commissioners for "just cause" has been cancelled, according to a New Haven Register report. No reason was given as to why the hearing will now not take place, as The Register's Jennifer Swift reported that both Kolb and Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. were unavailable for comment Monday. The commission currently is engaged in a battle with the Mayor's Office over control of the board as well as its decision to hire an outside …

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Patrick Madley

8:05 pm on Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Rosie and Jacobo, both of you are right. What we need is both parties to clean house. Unfortunately, that does not seem likely.   more ›

Tuesday's Police Commission Meeting Cancelled

Facing a potential new legal battle with the Mayor's Office, the East Haven Board of Police Commissioners have cancelled their regularly scheduled meeting for tonight.

With commissioners and the East Haven Mayor's Office embroiled in an ongoing battle for control of the board — which could soon find its way into court — the Board of Police Commissioners' regularly scheduled meeting for tonight has been cancelled. It is unclear at this time why the meeting was postponed by Police Commissioner Chairman Joseph Civitello. The chairman did not immediately return calls for comment placed by East Haven Patch late yesterday afternoon and this morning. Meeting's Agenda The meeting's agenda, which is included in the gallery that accompanies this article, included the discussion and possible approval of the retirement of East Haven Police Inspector Gaetano J. Nappi, as well as three other officers in the department…

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Mayor Demands Police Commission Vice Chair Resign

East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr sends letter to Police Commission Vice Chairman Carl Perez demanding his resignation due to "conflict of interest" following Perez's arrest earlier this year.

In the latest shot across the bow in the ongoing battle between the East Haven Mayor's Office and Board of Police Commissioners, Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr is demanding the resignation of the board's Vice Chairman Carl Perez. In the letter, dated April 19, Mayor Maturo cites Perez's recent arrest for second-degree threatening by the East Haven Police Department as a "conflict of interest" that should prohibit him from serving on the board. Perez was arrested Feb. 29 after he allegedly threatened a male student while serving in his job as a security official at East Haven High School. "Continuing to serve would require you to make unbiased decisions about the very department which called for and effectuated your recent arrest," Maturo writes in…

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Julie Weisberg

1:37 pm on Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Not Guido: Thanks for your question. I just popped up a post on the cancellation http://patch.com/A-sFYl However, I was unable to determine why the meeting was postponed, as I have not yet had an opportunity to speak with Police Commission Chairman Civitello. Hopefully, he'll get back to me soon and I can provide the additional information and update.   more ›

Ask the Chief

East Haven Interim Police Chief Brent Larrabee asked you for your questions. Now, here are the answers to four of this month's questions from readers.