Police Chief: Downtown Safe

downtown aerial

From the CT Post:

“There’s absolutely no problems there,” Perez said. “Downtown is one of the safest places in Bridgeport.”

Perez added the suspected killer is also from Stamford and that he believes the circumstances surrounding the shooting–Bridgeport’s seventh homicide this year–had “nothing to do with Bridgeport.”

““It’s all Stamford,” Perez said.

Full story here.

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22 comments

  1. The players might be from Stamford but the murder took place here so it’s on your watch A.J. like it or not. As I said in a previous post, people already feel Bridgeport is unsafe and would rather spend their time and money somewhere else. The latest murder only confirms this. What is going to happens when the beer garden and comedy club get going if they ever do?

    You just can’t say the downtown area is safe, there is a family out there that would beg to differ.

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  2. I love when people blame a Mayor or a chief of police for a murder. I do not believe this will impact Bridgeport’s downtown. It sure doesn’t stop people from going to Manhattan in droves and lets be honest. The crime there takes on a multitude of sins that Bridgeport will never know- Thank G-d.

    Downtown is looking good. I think it was a big PR mistake for the new downtown Mexican Restaurant to add fuel to the fire on the front page. It is their business. People have been promoting the place on Facebook and here the very business is scaring off patrons. Great Marketing strategy.

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    1. Steve,lol,please don’t compare Bpt to Manhatten….And those poor owners of that Mexican restaurant sound defeated in that article,what’s that tell you?.They took a chance on downtown Bpt,buying into the hype that “Bpt is on the rise”.They probably wagered their life savings on it.Then comes a night,when Webster is sold out for a concert,a very rare night when thousands of people will be in the area,The owners plan something special for the evening,hoping beyond hope,that they can make some money.The night finally arrives,and boom!,there is a shooting right outside their restaurant,police everywhere,a crime scene with a dead body laying there.What did you expect their reaction to be??

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  3. I mean what is Perez supposed say?”Downtown is very dangerous,don’t go there”??….Let’s face it,the proof is in the pudding,as they say.Downtown in the evening is dead,if people felt safe there it would be bustling.Fact of the matter is people know it’s dangerous and stay away.We can argue about it till the cows come home,but facts are facts…

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  4. Facts are facts, as Harvey Weintraub asserts, and the facts are:
    — Downtown in the evening is surprisingly alive in many parts. Fairfield Avenue is alive. State Street is alive. Main Street is alive. Bank Street is alive. Broad Street is alive, above and below the steps. Water Street is alive. Even the first block of Main Street north of Fairfield is coming alive. The trend is to aliveness.
    — Chief A.J. Perez is correct in saying that Downtown Bridgeport is very safe. Truly, it is. Bridgeport Police patrols are frequent. Moreover, a growing level of 24/7 legeitimate and legal activity contributes to safety. There is no pattern of danger. Truly, the horrible crime of murder appears to be isolated. I’d walk on McLevy Green again any time. But A.J.’s comments ignore the problem of Tiago’s, owned by one of his colleagues in senior management of city government. A.J. needs to be real and specific about the problem at Tiago’s Bar and Grill, on State Street across from McLevy Green. (More on this below.) Downtown is safe. But not all of downtown is safe; Tiago’s is often the locus of out-of-control behavior requiring attention from multiple police patrol units.
    — Downtown is dangerous only to the people who cling to fear that it’s dangerous. Fact is: My security is better than your security. Fact is: Visitors to downtown stroll about in safety. Fact is: If you’re anxious about being in danger, you’re going to feel in danger.
    — Returning to Tiago’s, I urge OIB readers to read comments I wrote in response to the original post about the murder, including a video of a typical brawl police have to break up at closing time. The video was taken five nights before the murder. My earlier comments are found at:
    http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/man-shot-dead-downtown/#comment-126424
    The video of a typical night of distrubances at Tiago, taken five nights earlier, is found at:
    https://youtu.be/AJ70GNvwyms
    A map showing major residential and office areas in the vicinity of Tiago’s is also available at:
    https://www.evernote.com/shard/s17/sh/7e427672-a145-4957-a353-94f8af0fbd5d/f7b7a77ff82a21e8
    Tiago is the locus of brawls and routinely an awful drain on police resources. This should stop; our city budget cannot afford it. Moreover, crowd control should be handled by the establishment, not by the publicly funded police. In terms of downtown safety, I wouldn’t stay away from downtown. But I recommend giving Tiago a wide berth, especially after midnight.

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    1. Are u aware that Tiago has been dating Mario Testo’s niece for some time and was promoted to Deputy Director of Facilities AFTER Ganim was electe?

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      1. Old story Maria he has been with her for more than 7 years. He was hired first under Finch to work on pot holes. We even bought a new pot hole filler. His restaurant ran a bill for Finch and hi crew, Now ask me if the bill was ever paid in full with cast?

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  5. Jesus Christ Steve, you do know when you write post on OIB people can read it right? http://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/sept-11-2001-bush-informed-terror-attacks-11584488

    How can you even compare Time Square to Bridgeport’s downtown? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjnhnCsoUso

    Are you on crack or something? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vr5PkXjLF4

    Steve everyone knows homicides and bullets flying are not going to have a negative impact on Bridgeport’s downtown, the meters are. Steve if these are your real thoughts sober, start smoking crack or something. A Joint should be sufficed though, with minimal impact on you, vie going out to eating because you have the munchies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxJIX34-m8g

    Here’s a thought if a private meter company can place cameras in every meter. Then maybe the city can place cameras in strategic downtown areas. (Jeff this is where you start on your aims on handling police pursuits with camera, and sorry for the insult on your run for mayor. That wasn’t call for.)

    Speaking of cameras, for the most part, all they’re meant to is hinder people from doing or acting in a way they shouldn’t be, like getting caught for not putting a quarter in the meter. Not sure why AJ Perez is holding off on body cameras for his officers based on funding. Considering how OIB bloggers are calling out police overtime expenses and pay. People just don’t want to get the shit beat out of them needlessly when they are encountered by the police. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR9EkmhpVww

    People just want a sense of security. Sometime people give it even if it’s a false sense of security, However, I don’t think it’s fair, right, or productive ( guess it what you considered productive) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dIiNp2stZM

    Not only are cameras used for security but also for projection. I like to quote Einstein before I go negative “If you judge everyone on their ability to climb a tree, a fish will go it’s entire life believing its stupid” Words are powerful. They can teach love or hate. They can be used to help or harm someone. They can make someone happy or depressed. All of these emotions can be created solely by the words you choose to use. True story, someone once told a slow, autistic semi retarded kid he was a genius. Image when that fish, later in mid-life adulthood, found out he was not in the ocean but in a tree ” Hence another quote, “keep my job simple, I am not a bright person” ~ Simple Jack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6WHBO_Qc-Q

    AJ is not cameras really. Not saying he is in not a qualified to run a police force, just keep him off the news cameras. Unlike Maria, as a politician that lack amiable skills or at least filter of choice words, her hard work and ability more then compensates for it. I don’t know AJ skills. However some positions are cameras ready required. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrUc0yLsSfo

    Do you know this country is going to have to impeach Trump just to get him away for the camera? Because you can’t run this country by Twitter only, well he really doesn’t have the level of ability either, after some stick stuff gets done. Most of his important speeches are pre-record and edited like movies thought. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX9reO3QnUA

    PS. Please Steve can you keep God, or whatever you want to call your God or your Messiah , out of your sycophant comments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAAca108HfU

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    1. Robert Texiera, Thank you for responding to my short 2 paragraph post with a short Novella. I respect your opinions.

      Maria P. , Everyone knows that Finch hired Tiago and Ganim has kept him because of the future relationship to Mario.

      That’s politics. Some get second chances and some get big promotions. It is the nature of the beast. I am sure he must be doing his job as there have not been any complaints on the blog or anywhere from anonymous disgrunteled employees.

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      1. Steve please keep you sycophant response to politics, I am not the mayor. I wish I could say I respect your comments but I don’t. My comment was not solely in response to you. It was also addressed to the topic post, as was yours.

        PS. Yes it is politics and for a second, I thought your fawning post was a vague attempt of hoping to take the Mayor or the Chief of Police out on a date. I know your breakup with Mayor Finch was hard and when you lose a love and you try to mend that broken heart. It’s very common to try to mend it with promiscuous relationships, maybe ever being adventurous by eyeing Mario and wanting a foursome. Rule number one on road to mending your broken heart. STOP SMOKING CRACK. I will pray for you You’re Welcome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L54eQPeVflo

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        1. Robert, I will be as succinct as possible. The day Ganim through you out of his headquarters should have been a flag. I love that you continue to support Maria P , even though she has repeatedly and respectfully asked you not to defend her to Ron Mackey and Donald Day. Me. I will only say this once, continue responding to my posts. I however will not respond. I respect your right to say what you will . However, You will not get me to respond and call you a slew of names as though I was a child.

          I will let Ron Mackey and Donald Day waste their time on you. I will not.

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          1. Thanks for responding back I like have the last word

            Ron respectfully asked me to man up and respond to any posts about Maria he and Day have made.

            I don’t know what color your flag is but based on your past and present political support and fawning post it waves whichever the wind blows. (and that’s politics)

            You trivialize a man’s death by comparing Bridgeport downtown to a multitude of crimes and sin and condemn a Downtown business owner for canceling a plan party for the next night because of the tragedy.

            No one has blamed the Mayor of the Chief of Police for the man’s death.

            PS. I didn’t call you any names. I defined you as a “Sycophant” the rest was satire. I not sure what you call your comparison of BPT Downtown to NY Time Square and it sins as that are acceptable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjnhnCsoUso

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      2. So Finch and Mario had a relationship too? Personal I think his job and business is more about comping city employees vie payment through his city job. Which has be said to be a no show job. Whatever, good luck with souls people. BAM I AM BAM

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  6. Now, wait a minute, a man gets shot dead in downtown Bridgeport and Police Chief Perez added the suspected killer is also from Stamford and that he believes the circumstances surrounding the shooting — Bridgeport’s seventh homicide this year — had “nothing to do with Bridgeport.” “It’s all Stamford,” Perez said. I’m getting dizzy from all of this spin from Perez, now how is this Stamford’s problem and not Bridgeport’s problem?

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  7. I refer readers to my comments in the original post about the murder of Thursday morning. Please see:
    http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/man-shot-dead-downtown/#comment-126424

    Chief A.J. Perez is largely correct, but I’ll challenge him on two points:
    — Yes, downtown is largely safe. I agree with A.J. on this, and I recognize the huge role and commitment and cooperation of the Bridgeport Police force in making this happen.
    — But, Chief, downtown is also safe because it has a growing level of 24/7 legitimate and legal activities. It’s the economic, residential, and social activities in tandem with the policing which combine to make downtown safe.
    — Tiago’s Bar and Grill, the locus of the Thursday murder before the shots fell on McLevby Green across the street, is a problem. Given all the time and money spent on Tiago’s rewgularly by BPD, Chief Perez must be aware of the problem. His claim that there aren’t any safety problems downtown is disingenuous given the resources BPD pours into controlling crowds at Tiago’s.

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    1. I meant to include two links. First, the crowd at Tiago’s, recorded five nights before the murder. You can see how much the BPD needs to devote to control this venue at closing time:
      https://youtu.be/AJ70GNvwyms

      Also, a map showing residential and office developments in the vicinity of Tiago’s and McLevy Green:
      https://www.evernote.com/shard/s17/sh/7e427672-a145-4957-a353-94f8af0fbd5d/f7b7a77ff82a21e8

      Downtown is only unsafe if you believe it is unsafe. The fact is, replying to Harvey Weintraub, hundreds and hundreds — thousands, actually — of people nightly use downtown. It is not alive in all places, but downtown is alive in many places. It is safe — though after midnight, I’d give Tiago’s a wide berth.

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