Recent issues in the Ward

Dear All:

I would like to update the ward regarding reported gunfire on Moreland Road & Ellsworth Avenue and High School Students wandering through the neighborhood. I have been working with the Mayor’s Office, the Police Department and the Board of Education to try to come up with a proactive, viable solution.

The issues as I see them are as follows:

Teenagers stashing their bikes in the backyards of our neighbors on Norton Parkway.
This is a trespass and a violation of ones right to not have your home invaded.
The trespassers’ are now targeting the homes where they are hiding their bikes for further criminal activity.
The gunfire that happened over the past week on Moreland and Ellsworth.

With regard to issue 1; there was a meeting on Tuesday 10/30/07 attended by Asst. Chief Redding; Sergeant Steve Shea (our District Manager); Principal of Hillhouse, Dr. Lonnie Garris and a Resource Officer from Hillhouse (similar to a in house police officer). The result of the meeting is that the students will be able to park their bikes at the school now and the BOE will be providing two additional outdoor bike racks along with indoor space for bikes. No student will have the excuse that they don’t have a safe place to park their bike. An announcement was made over the Hillhouse PA system that there will be patrols in the streets, alleys and backyards surrounding the school and that any bikes found will be confiscated by the police.
I am working with the above group to get a contact name and number at the school for residents to call directly if there is a student going through the yards or roaming the streets during school hours. When I get that name and number I will inform the neighborhood.

With regard to issue number 2; in my conversations with the police it became apparent that this is a much more difficult problem to solve. Shell casings were removed from the scene and we don’t know if they match any gun on record. I know that this is not the answer we want and I feel that a proactive approach will help us. I would like to outline a few ideas that can assist in this regard:

I have asked for more patrols in the area and a greater police presences in general.
It is of the utmost importance to make sure that each time there is a crime; you file a report and ask for the case number so you know that it has been filed.
Each time you hear gunfire immediately inform the police, regardless if you think it is from the range or not.

Please note that our police are a data driven force and they will respond only when we can show them that we are in need of greater police service.

As always I may be contacted via
Email – ward28@snet.net
Voicemail – 203-772-1805
Snail Mail – 195 Colony Road, New Haven, CT 06511

Yours truly,