On the 2015 campaign trail, Joe Ganim promised to hire 100 new police officers for a department thinned out by retirements and departures to other communities. On Monday Ganim welcomed 26 new police recruits bringing him closer to his goal when they hit the streets following nine months of combined training between the police academy and in the field with seasoned officers. Video courtesy of Steve Krauchick, Doing It Local.
The larger question is, can the department stay ahead of attrition?
“My priority is public safety,” said Ganim in a statement. “When I first came into office, the Police Department was undermanned by more than 100 officers. So we immediately put a plan in place to hire new recruits. Early last year, I swore in the first class of 29 new officers. Then we followed with the second class of 24 new recruits which will hit the street in June. And, this week, Chief Perez and I commenced our newest class of 26 recruits.”
“We want the community to feel safe,” said Police Chief AJ Perez. “Our goal is to have more walking patrols and community policing throughout the city. With Mayor Ganim’s commitment and leadership, I have the manpower I need to protect our residents.”
Congratulations, and may you have a safe career serving the residents of Bridgeport. A little advice I share with firefighters and that’s keep God first in your life, keep your family next and then your police family. Lennie, what is the breakdown by race and sex of this class, I only notice one black male in the video above.
Ron it appears you have counted right. What I get from this is the Guardians have been bought off in the PD just like the firebirds have in the FD. Where does it say we need these two cops? What study has been done to show we need this group? We as a public don’t know shit about the PD.
How many are out on injury leave and for how long?
How many are assigned to light duty and for how long?
How many are assigned desk jobs and why?
Why do we have a temporary Police Chief who does not meet civil service requirements?
When we hold a chief’s exam is it going to be an e-mail test?
I meant 24 new cops.
Ron, breakdown 26 new recruits
21 males
5 females
17 white
6 Hispanic
2 African American
1 Asian
Thanks Lennie, once again Mayor Joe Ganim along with David Dunn has shown the black community and the black voters this administration doesn’t give a damn about blacks being included as part of the City’s police and fire departments. There are ONLY TWO BLACKS out of a class of 26, 2 out of 26 and that’s okay for Mayor Ganim and he doesn’t see a problem.
Andy, I don’t understand your comment about “where does it says we need these two cops?”
Ron, I meant 24 new cops.
Okay.
Is this the second class from 2015 or the new class?
In a city that is one-third African American and 65% of them are white and only about 8% are black makes no damned sense. Are the majority Bpt residents?
How many blacks took the test?
How many passed?
How many were washed out along the way with the drug, test background check and the other things?
If so few blacks applied and no one knows that number, and if most of them were washed out you are left with the two you have. It looks in the end the city did not hire any but that might not be the full story.
Basically you need many blacks to apply to have more at the end and in the academy.
Considering the current climate with the police how many candidates no matter what their race, changed their minds about being cops?
Recruiting and hiring of blacks for both the police and fire departments have never been a problem in Bridgeport since the ’70s until David Dunn became Director of Civil Service. Is this a coincidence or by design of David Dunn?
The NAACP, the IMA, the black politicians and the Black community should demand an investigation into David Dunn and the civil service office under his direction to see why blacks could be hired for 40 consecutive years, but can’t for the last eight years under David Dunn. Incompetence, malfeasance or just plain old discrimination, whichever, they all are immoral, unjust and wrong. All one has to do is look at the hiring numbers from any year prior to David Dunn and those under his malfeasance. David Dunn may lie but numbers don’t.
Don, you got it right about David Dunn and his incompetence to hire blacks in the police an fire department. During Mayor Ganim’s term as mayor blacks were being hired and promoted in very high numbers. Ganim after serving his time in prison Ganim was elected back to being mayor again because of the large turnout of black voters. Since Ganim has been in his second term as mayor the numbers of those blacks being hired and promoted are at lowest numbers in 40 years. Mayor Ganim is now showing to the black voters he doesn’t give a damn about blacks being hired as police and firefighters, he has said nothing and he has done nothing to change the hiring of blacks under David Dunn, well to HELL with Ganim.
I commend the new recruits. Be safe and be the best police officers that exist in 2017. (One request, get rid of Chuck Paris.)
www .youtube.com/watch?v=EkggwchrtsQ
The BPD,the BPT Tax Departmemt and the Anti-Blight officer have all visited me.
Why does OIB refuse to use the correct and formal designation? ACTING Police Chief Armando Perez. Can we have a little bit of journalistic accuracy, please???
bECAUSE THEY DONT LIKE TO MESS THINGS UP FOR GANIM2
The employment list is aging. The best candidates are gone, guys. You know all about this. Hope this is the last off the list, generally two years.
Also, why would Chuck Paris leave? He looks like the Cheshire Cat, hasn’t been a cop since forever and certainly hasn’t missed a meal in some time. Shame on the PD for not finding someone intelligent to lead their union.
OK. Who is going to do something now?
James Holiday, I mean Holloway, the longest serving City Councilman?
The tired NAACP, Ministerial Alliance, the Young Dens, the Guardians? Or are there new political leaders out there who will finally pick up the ball and run with?
Bob, thank you, you have ask the right question, “who will finally pick up the ball and run with?” We know Mayor Ganim doesn’t give a DAM because he’s to busy running to be governor and attending fund raisers.
Bob, here is information to jump start for who ever who will finally pick up the ball and run with. This a major portion on how the federal courts review something like 2 blacks out of 26 being hired as new police officers and that fire department has not hired ANY females from their last three entry level exams.
UNIFORM GUIDELINES ON EMPLOYEE SELECTION PROCEDURES
Section 3: Discrimination defined: Relationship between use of selection procedures and discrimination.
Procedure having adverse impact constitutes discrimination unless justified.
Consideration of suitable alternative selection procedures.