Bridgeport joined the ranks of gun violence across Connecticut cities during the weekend. It led to a plea from East End Councilman Ernie Newton to Governor Ned Lamont to appear in the neighborhood, urging extra resources to combat the violence. “When Ernie calls, I pay attention,” Lamont told the Sunday gathering.
CT Post reporters Brian Lockhart and Ethan Fry share more:
The community is grappling with the weekend shootings that left two men dead downtown, cast a cloud of fear over an East End baseball field, and drew an impromptu visit from the governor to condemn the violence.
On Monday Mayor Joe Ganim and downtown business leaders tried to reassure the public that the homicides at a party there early Sunday morning were an aberration.
“This type of violence is not typical of downtown landscape or community,” the mayor said in a statement.
Meanwhile, East End leaders said their children should not be faced with hearing shots while playing outdoors, as witnesses told police happened earlier Saturday during a Little League game at Newfield Park.
Full story here.
Please don’t anyone say that they’re surprised! Is it not all due to the style of government that is chosen? Policies enacted by those who are elected? Economies driven by decisions of those same politicians? Laws enacted-and enforced by the departments in charge AND the leaders of those departments appointed by those very same politicians? On the flip side, lol, it’s not so bad. Bridgeport just made the high crimes list coming in 61st out of the top 100! Could be worse!!!!Most of the 100 are and have been politically controlled by………wait for it……….
you guessed it: democRATS!!!!! (For decades).
Hey…. I’m an independent so don’t look at me!!
Rich – You are one of the few voices of reason on OIB. (I’m obviously the only other one.)
You have my vote for Mayor…Or Police Chief.
Bridgeport is a gang-controlled city with a drug-gang-based economy. Illegal speak-easies and drug-alcohol-houses — gang-controlled — are the main sources of entertainment in Bridgeport, as well as major employers, with illegal drug-dealing and related operations being the major employer in this dead city. Most of our neighborhoods are gang-controlled and littered with these operations. This is common knowledge to most Bridgeporters — including the cops…
The Governor and state have no interest in providing real help for Bridgeport, or it wouldn’t be in the situation that it is in — leaderless, virtually devoid of legitimate private-sector jobs, with a shrinking population and shrinking tax base… The state plan is obviously to just things regress and turn Bridgeport into an even larger repository for the obtrusive/polluting/problematic infrastructure, and the repository of regional socioeconomic wreckage, that will allow the continued ascent of Stamford-Greenwich and the untroubled lifestyle of the suburbs, even as our area water-supply is diverted to enabling the continued ascent of the former…
With an Easton mayor and Greenwich governor, Bridgeport can only count on its continued descent into ruin.
You don’t mean it’s a lost cause do you?!!
Big LOL!! Dead city is right, and has been for a long time and will be until they get rid of that gang up on Wood & Suburban. The pizza place that’s a front for total control of the city for how long now????? They even control city hall, the police department, public works…..oh, that’s right…. all those departments have some slight issues don’t they?!! Question is- when will the voters put some honest person in to make things better. Bigger question is why would an honest person even bother to run when they’d have to confront that slime political machine OR even what’s left of it?!!!! You’re correct in saying that the governor and others don’t give a rats ass about the city.
Cheers!!!!!!
Cheers again for the one I forgot earlier!
Definitely need a drink just thinking about the dam city!!!!!!!
Why should the Governor give a damn about the city when the residents won’t lift a finger to help themselves?
Jeff, I’m in total agreement with your post and this is nothing new in Bridgeport, this has been going n the city since John Mandanici was mayor, the only difference is the names have changed.
Don. That’s just dumb… I’m sure the several reasons why it’s dumb will come to you if you put on your THINKING-cap…
Ron: As you say; the gang problem in Bridgeport isn’t new, but it has increased, manifold, since the early “crack” years, and has now completely overtaken legitimate economic options — especially for young people — in this city. And the potential for violence has increased proportionately to the degree of of economic failure and distress of the city. Things will only continue to deteriorate until and unless Bridgeport — and other cities such as Bridgeport — are addressed by a major, joint, federal-state economic redevelopment initiative that spares no expense and effort. I have spoken with lots of people about this, including Bob Keeley, who likened the necessary effort to right cities in the US, such as Bridgeport, to the Marshall Plan that was used to redevelop Europe after WWII… Presently, our state and federal leadership are hardly even willing to nickel-and-dime Bridgeport’s death-throes problems… Bridgeport people don’t matter in Hartford or DC — unless its a major election cycle… And Bridgeport doesn’t have the caliber of Bridgeport-based, elected leadership, at any level, to give Hartford and DC the attitude change necessary to address Bridgeport’s problems meaningfully…
Jeff Kohut, you say, “Illegal speak-easies and drug-alcohol-houses are a main sources of entertainment in Bridgeport”, so may I suggest that you post on this forum the addresses of said establishments so that the police, who might not know as much as you do, can go close these places. What a great public service that would be for the City that you profess to love. Do the right thing or shut up!
They know where everything is and they don’t need anyone pointing out locations , criminal activity and plain bad behavior. Neither do the cohorts and family members and residents who “don’t snitch” on anyone and don’t demand their government do something about it. Then they vote for the same jerks who do nothing to improve their neighborhoods. You get what you deserve. They should do the right thing. The people that point out the obvious are the ones who are told to shut up instead. Go figure.
Cheers!!
I remember when a Bridgeport Police Officer, DiJoseph I believe, was shot and killed in the line a duty. After a few days with no leads Bridgeport Superintendent said that’s it!
I’m ordering all of the after hour clubs shut down this weekend. We’ll see if that shakes loose any tips.
Bob, Bridgeport Police Officer, DiJoseph was shot and killed on James Street about 3 blocks from police headquarters. The BPD acted like stormtrooper on Stratford Ave going into bars.
Friday, November 28, 1980 Patrolman DiJoseph was shot and killed while making a traffic stop on James Street. The suspect was able to gain control of Patrolman DiJoseph’s service weapon and shot him in the head.
The suspect fled the scene and remained at large for 7 months. He was apprehended by member of the New York City Police Department following a vehicle pursuit. On February 9, 1987, he was found not guilty. No one else has ever been charged.
That’s how we did it back then and I’m sure it’s done like that now when it warrants the occasion. Among other serious incidents, we had a vicious rape and assault take place in the projects. Oh, excuse me, subsidized housing. We needed to find out who did it. We shut down ALL dealing, numbers, and even petty shit. And we did it in every “bad” area in the city. “They” were told business is over until we find out who the bastard was. Took less than 12 hours.
Cheers!
He shut down every legitimate bar in the East End. Only worsened the situation.
Rich, people that point out the obvious and offer No solutions when they say they know who the culprits are No different than the people you say are cohorts and family members and residents who “don’t snitch” on anyone and don’t demand their government do something about it. You know Jeff is a resident don’t you? You say, “they vote for the same jerks who do nothing to improve their neighborhoods.” You know Jeff is a Bridgeport voter don’t you?
See above comment about an incident I describe. The problems in certain communities are caused by the people IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, and by those in the same communities that don’t do anything about it. I also understand the pressures in those communities. Remember pal, I was born and raised in the south Bronx. I chose to work on the “other side of the tracks”. I could have had the “nice” areas and answer alarm calls. My point before was when “someone else” chooses to comment pointing out the obvious, criticizing or vilifying them serves no purpose. Maybe if advice or even understanding of someone’s comments were taken seriously, coalition’s could be built instead if separations. We gave enough of division, don’t you think?
Cheers!!
Don, was in my car park on Straford Ave near Central Ave and I ducked down in my seat watching what was happening in front of me and looking in the mirror to see what was going on behind. The cops took people out the bar and threw them up against cars, they were pulling cars over who drove by.
Don, all of those good folks who reside where Rich is come to Bridgeport to get their drugs, they come to Bridgeport to go the drug programs in the city. In fact some of them work right here in the city. All the cops have to do s the profile whites who circle around PT Barnum, the Greens Apartment, Stratford Ave. the Terrance are just a few areas where these white out of towners come to support the drug business here.
Here are just a few more news articles to show that the Bridgeport Police Department is unable to change the culture of a poorly run department and changed must come from the outside, there must be a total re-evaluation of the entire BPD and that’s something that Mayor Joe Ganim does not want.
“NAACP calls for accountability after claims that police in Bridgeport violated civil rights”
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/NAACP-calls-for-accountability-after-claims-that-16186514.php?src=rdctpdensecp
“Bridgeport: Officer on probation lost badge at ‘illegal’ gathering”
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Bridgeport-Officer-on-probation-lost-badge-at-16186707.php?src=rdctpdensecp
Thank you Ron. I had not seen that yet.
And Thank You Rev Stanley Lord for being this video to the public’s attention.
Although Chief Garcia has dismissed it as being to looking like a handgun to her.
Now Rich, is this the type of snitching you are referring to or this doesn’t count at all?