Following Civil Unrest, Budget Committee Examines Reallocation Of Police Funds

The City Council’s Budget & Appropriations Committee Monday at 6 p.m will consider a “Proposed resolution committing to reallocating certain funds from the Police Department to address the safety, security, educational and social services needs of Bridgeport residents.” See full agenda.

This resolution is an offshoot of the so-called defunding of police, or redirecting resources from police to education and social services following national protests of law enforcement conduct.

The messaging of this across the land has been murky. What does defunding actually mean? Republicans used “defunding of police” as a cudgel to club opponents in the November election, one of the reasons GOP candidates picked up seats in the House of Representatives, despite Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump at the top of the ticket.

These resolutions floated by council members tend to be showy toothless tigers to appease public protests with no real force of action.

The budget cycle for the July 1, 2021 spending year begins in April and that could be the time the co-chairs of the budget committee Scott Burns and Ernie Newton try to refocus dollars in this effort.

The resolution below was first floated in the summer.

The public may listen to this meeting by calling the following conference line and then entering the conference code: Dial-in Number#: (929) 436-2866. Meeting ID#: 117 676 489

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18 comments

  1. Cops nationwide should just slow down everything. Slow response, look the other way, don’t seek out crimes, keep themselves safe from injury, lawsuits and scrutiny. If there was ever a time when they are under a microscope it is now, and that’s for just doing their jobs- not even about the incidents that make news.
    The sentiment will change if they do that.
    Every city should become Minneapolis or Portland or Seattle. Would you like that??!!
    Back the blue.
    Don’t you think that none of that isn’t happening now.
    Cheers!!!!!!!

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  2. “These resolutions floated by council members tend to be showy toothless tigers to appease public protests with no real force of action,” oh how true, this the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. What facts are they basing their changes on? Have they seen the police study that former Philly and D.C. Police Chief perform? Has this committee talk to Ron Bailey, a highly decorated African American Bridgeport police officer? His experiences where he was credted with saving six lives and served 18 yearsof his lengthy career undercover. Have they read Bailey’s book, “No Black Heroes” the true story of a black police officer’s struggle with racism, corruption and crime, the answer is NO.

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    1. Ron, you know the answer to that. They’re not going to talk to him. They’re not going to research anything. Like you said , it’s just a feel good toothless move on their part. We’ve all been asking for the Chiefs report for how long now? Right? ……..right!
      Cheers!

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  3. This ought to be a complete joke. First there is the study group that Aidee Nieves formed to look into what is wrong with the Bport Police Dept. This will take some time. They don’t know what they are looking for. Don’t know how long it will take. They are in no rush. They’ve got plenty of time that’s for sure.
    It’s taken them six months just to start the process. So they’ve got plenty of time.

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  4. They didn’t know with that group and they don’t know with this group what the end game is. This language in the resolution is a bunch of gobley gook.
    And if they are realigning the Police Dept to allocate money to the safety and security of the public what is the police supposed to be doing?
    That makes no sense whatsoever.

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  5. What we do know is they have done nothing since the death of George Floyd so they are doubling their efforts by having TWO committees just to show they are really, really serious now.

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  6. And watch how quickly groups begin to lose interest when they realize they’ve been used for show dressing and nothing else. Dog and pony. Nothing else.
    Maybe they will even have the Police Dept tell them what new departments to form to show progress.

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  7. This just in. The collaborative effort MUST be subject to the freedom of information act. No kidding.
    Aidee once again fails to understand her role as Council President. She was only doing it this way to allow people to say what they really feel under the assurance that they can say it not in public.
    Again, what a joke!

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  8. Rich, quick point, in a word called, “location” New Haven and Hartford are comparable to the Port, budget, population, and so forth. Do you not find it somewhat interesting that both cities spend upwards of 40 to
    50 million more on education than the Port, and depending on the state matrix’s formula the cities contribute 20 to 40 million more to the education budget than the Port. Yet the Port spends 40 to 50 million more on their police budget with a comparable, but smaller police force then Hartford and New Haven.

    While Jo did provide a reasonable reason for the extra 40 to 50 million more the Port spends on the police budget then the comparables the numbers don’t add up.

    JML, you are the # men, and we know about the wasted hundreds of $ of so-called wasted money on the Print shop. Play, Maria, and so a comparable analysis of city budgets police and education budgets for OIB.

    I checked this preliminary numbers, they don’t check out, just like Trump’s elections. The Lord give it, and the Lord take it away. LOL. 🙂

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YFLBjR-swo

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YFLBjR-swo

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    1. Maybe we could begin with the notion of ACCOUNTABILITY in the example of Police Dept comparisons? During the past five years I have pursued the publication of a regular report to the public of enforcement statistics on a quarterly basis….perhaps the same report that goes to the FBI as a starting point? It worked for part of a year, and then their info officer was changed and there was no report to publish in the NAACP news. Why not? Just numbers from which “narratives’ can be spun and plans can develop, or not? But there is little interest in sharing the data collected and forwarded anyway, with the population whose behavior is tracked anyway it seems. (Is that different in New Haven or Hartford?)

      RT, BOE and PD (as well as other City departments) receive and spend Grant dollars each year but does the City Council receive a report of these funds, integrated with the funds coughed up from local taxpaying property owners. If so, what is it called and when is it reviewed? If not, why not create such a comprehensive report? Time will tell.

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      1. Thank you JML. More questions and no answers. Not helpful at all but you don’t care.
        You said someone gave you these numbers before but someone else took their place and stopped.
        Maybe there’s a message there.
        Or better yet maybe the previous person was bending the rules but because of your incessant questions gave you anything just to shut you up.
        Time will tell. But will it tell the true picture.

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      2. I believe part of the answer lies with the budget cycle. I believe, but don’t quote me because heaven forbid it’s not correct,
        Grant funding normally begins on December 1 for some and July 1 for others. You also have private foundations which could have another date possibly January 1.
        We could possibly refuse to accept any grants unless they run on our calendar. That will teach them!!!

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        1. You have no respect for my story line. Rarely do. Your opinion is your right, and if you do not like questions, you are likely to learn less than if curiosity poses the question and another reader has an answer to that question.
          .
          So what you are a man of Council experience and likely the statement that grants cover different time periods than the City fiscal year of July 1 to June 30 was satisfactory back in the day. But if you reread my notes above I did not speak directly to the Monthly Financial Report but rather asked if the Council gets a report (or has asked for one) regarding Grants Revenue and the way it gets spent? If there are tens of millions of revenue to the City that get spent on personnel and pass through Purchases Department, do you think reporting that is not regular and consolidated with local dollars as a methodology makes sense? I do not. Just shining a light on this observation.Time will tell.

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  9. Apparently,keeping with the way Joe wants it,the CC is having “secret” meetings,and Maria is not having it.Say what you want about Maria,she cares.

    Bridgeport City Councilwoman Maria Pereira is calling for an end to what she describes as “illegal secret meetings” held by city officials.
    She was joined by supporters, including the group Justice for Jayson, at a press conference Sunday morning. She says she and the group will be filing a Freedom of Information complaint against City Council President Aidee Nieves and Councilman Scott Burns regarding “secret meetings” they’re allegedly organizing and hosting about Bridgeport police reform and budgeting.
    Pereira says these topics must be discussed in public and proper notice must be given in advance in accordance with state law.
    Nieves and Burns issued a statement saying in part, “We have reached out to the commission for clarity. We will be taking the next steps of the working group, then issue a statement once a decision has been reached.”

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