Backed by members of the Bridgeport Police Union supporting his comeback effort, former Mayor Joe Ganim opened a police substation/satellite campaign office Wednesday afternoon servicing the crime-plagued Trumbull Gardens housing project area, saying “We needed a presence in this part of the city.” Ganim says his campaign will expand operations featuring unofficial police substations “all over the city.”
Wednesday afternoon, in response to Ganim’s campaign positioning, Mayor Bill Finch and Police Chief Joe Gaudett announced the opening of a nearby official substation to add police presence to an area that has suffered an increase in violent crime.
Last week Ganim won the endorsement of the police union led by officer Chuck Paris who is helping to staff Ganim’s unofficial operation doubling as a campaign satellite office.
Ganim, a relentless campaigner, has never been afraid to mix it up, especially now running as a challenger who must make the case to fire the incumbent. His substation announcement caught Finch off guard. Ganim clearly wants to keep the campaign focus on crime challenging the mayor’s declarations that the city is experiencing a decades-low crime rate. Ganim has amassed a campaign warchest of more than $200,000 to help finance these “unofficial” substation/satellite offices. Some campaign observers wonder if these are permissible expenditures under Connecticut campaign finance law.
Crime statistics secured by OIB from police sources show that some crime categories are, in fact, down such as robberies, burglaries and auto thefts, but the city has experienced an increase in murders, shooting incidents and shooting victims for this first six months of 2015 compared to the first six months of last year.
Those statistics show the number of murders up from two last year to eight this year and incidents of shootings and shooting victims up 65 percent and 96 percent respectively.
Geographically the central police quadrant of the city that includes Trumbull Gardens has experienced dramatic violent crime increase from last year. Shooting incidents up 128 percent and shooting victims up 228 percent, led by the last month’s shootings that claimed a life and wounded eight.
Every time I see Ganim’s photo ops, I just think cynical. It’s funny because that is what the judge said about him a long time ago:
“Calling Joseph P. Ganim’s crimes the “stuff that cynicism is made of,” a federal judge today sentenced Mr. Ganim, the former mayor of Bridgeport, to nine years in prison for systematically using his office to enrich himself.
Calling abuse of office “a terrible crime,” she said it eroded confidence in government and undermined democracy at a time developing countries were looking to the United States as “a beacon.”
Mr. Ganim, 43, was mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut’s largest city, for 12 years before stepping down last spring and a leader in the state’s Democratic Party. On March 19, he was convicted of 16 counts of criminal misconduct, including racketeering, extortion, bribery, tax evasion and mail fraud. He was accused of awarding city contracts to favored friends and suppliers, who returned some of the proceeds to him in cash and favors, including clothing, wine and home improvements.”
I attended for about one hour. There were about 75 community members, political leaders, activists, etc. in attendance. There was a DJ, hamburgers/hotdogs, a lot of press, etc.
Mayor Finch’s substation press conference was held two hours earlier. One of our leaders walked down to observe the event. Finch did not attend. Only Gaudett, Captain Porter, other police leadership, etc. and the Director of the Housing Authority were there. There was only one member of the community there. It was the president of the tenants association. She told our supporter she was called at 1:00 and told she had to attend the press conference at 2:00.
Pathetic.
It seems the Police chief was doing his job. Finch didn’t have a photo op. The Bridgeport Police have a job to do and feeding the residents hot dogs and hamburgers with a DJ is just an insult to the community to get votes.
Mayor Finch was getting ready for his spectacular event at Captain’s Cove. Like sardines in a can. Maria, you missed a great time. Pathetic it was not. The chant of four more years is still ringing in my ears. After three hours and working the room, it was time to pack it in. I expect we will see Foster and Ganim supporters tomorrow evening. It should be another interesting evening!
Steve, so serving free hamburgers and hotdogs to children and residents, and playing lively music as part of a neighborhood celebration “is an insult to the community to get votes.”
Didn’t you just attend a “free” event where food was served and music was played? I guess Mayor Finch insulted “the community to get votes.”
Certainly, what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
Steve, I didn’t miss a thing. I spent 2-1/2 hours training another canvasser my techniques. We registered one voter, we filled out an AB application for a gentleman with a disability, we obtained nine ones for Joe and we obtained valid phone numbers for every voter who committed to vote for Joe.
I have now personally trained seven canvassers who were so enthusiastic about what they learned and are ready to start canvassing on their own.
I am training two more tomorrow and at least one more on Friday.
The canvasser told me he learned a lot and was surprised every single person supporting Joe was more than happy to give us their home phone numbers utilizing my techniques.
You go, Maria! You will show Andy Fardy who can get votes! If only you could train more canvassers.
The Finch function was a political gathering. The hotdogs and hamburgers was an attempt to get people to a press conference.
There is no problem with that. I am hoping Finch does the same with better food for a few announcements promoting Steelpointe.
Maria, I am loving your passion! I do not know what these canvassers are telling people that is getting your voters so excited. Any Foster supporters? No Finch supporters? Curious, no?
You got a number one so you would not bother these people again.
Don’t forget. Ann Barney has seven votes and is not supporting Foster. Seems like you may have a new best friend!
My time on the blog is ticking away Maria, you stick to your guns and keep trucking! I wish you well with your campaign. Maybe I will see you at the Finch celebration party.
Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!
I certainly hope Chief Gaudett had that huge sign City of Bridgeport substation unofficial taken down immediately and any cop on duty stopping off there should be reprimanded for stealing time from the Bridgeport taxpayer. When the hot dogs and hamburgers run out all you will have left is Carolanne Curry sitting at a computer. Looking at what? I don’t want to know. I like that Ganim travels with his faithful entourage. I appreciate loyalty.
Did I mention the Finch Call to Arms this evening was packed with enthusiastic voters shouting four more years, four more years!
Steven Auerbach // Jul 8, 2015 at 11:06 pm
To your post
Steve,
Of course you don’t want to know what Carolanne Curry is doing sitting at a computer.
Whatever it is Carolanne, it will not help you!
Andy Fardy, he is going to open up one in your neighborhood! Well at least those with deep pockets will decide if Joe is spending their contributions wisely. Maybe they should have contributed to Foster.
Steve, you joke about that but you and I know what’s going on at Trumbull Gardens is a dog and pony show by Finch and Ganim. It’s disgraceful and insulting. Steve, a few weeks ago we had two murders up here in a two-day period. Nothing written by the Post, no news release from PD
Maybe in light of the dramatic increase in gun crime and murders, Finch could take a look at one of Baltimore’s answers to their problem and follow suit.
Apparently Finch is not capable of generating an original idea, and firing the police chief would make quite a statement.
I heard the chants too:
Save my job
For more years
Save my job
For more years
city hall smoker, I am just curious. How many of the attendees do you estimate were on the city payroll?
Maria, I’d estimate at least 50 city employees, many who are also on the DTC. I’d estimate the total Finch crowd at MAYBE 400. The rest of the people were there to hang at the Cove. They may have taken part in the refreshments and listened to the speech but they were there when we got there and were there when we left. The regular Wednesday night crowd.
“Shooting incidents up 128 percent and shooting victims up 228 percent, led by the last month’s shootings that claimed a life and wounded eight.” And Bill Finch claims the city is the safest its been in 40 years? Give me a break, give me a fucking break. Maybe where you live, Mr. Mayor.