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Before becoming New Haven's Police Chief, Carl Jacobson had been with the department for 16 years. Now, he does admit the last year has been difficult, but he really feels like they're turning a corner.
And now, "Are you ready to take the oath?" It's been a year since this heartwarming moment. Carl Jacobson getting sworn in as New Haven's Police Chief with his daughter placing his pin on his chest. She wants to be a New Haven police officer. Something he says, as a chief, makes him proud.
"It's a great agency. We've struggled this year, but I feel like we're on the other side of that struggle." A struggle involving low points, like when Officer Cd Curry was shot at by a suspect running from a scene in October of 2022. In the same month, they lost Officer Michael Hinton to cancer. Shortly after, two Bristol police officers were shot and killed, impacting law enforcement everywhere. "We actually had somebody resign and walk off the job." And of course, his reign as chief, all starting with the firing of the five officers involved in the Randy Cox case, who became paralyzed while under their car. He also recommended the firing of four other officers in separate cases.
"But I feel like the community deserves us to do the right thing as an administration." And the results, the chief says, are paying off. New Haven officers are using significantly less force, and internal affairs complaints are down, and calls are up, with 12,000 more this year than the same time last year. "If the community is calling you more, it's for a couple of different things. One is because they trust you, and they trust you to solve their problems."
Even though the number of homicides are up, with 14 murders this year versus 8 this time last year, shootings have gone down, with 36 shootings this year and 63 shootings this time last year. Much of it, the chief says, has to do with advancements in technology over the last year, like license plate readers, cameras, and more. "So we're giving these officers everything they need to safely do the job and for it to be safer for the community."
Now, those officers, Chief Jacobson says, deserve more when it comes to their mental health. So that's what he's focusing on, moving forward, getting more officers and making sure they get the care that they need.
We are in New Haven. Julia LeBlanc, Fox 61 Connecticut's news station.