Police Chief Job Was Always Porter’s To Lose

Analysis and Comment, Law Enforcement11 Comments

Once Mayor Joe Ganim received the names of three finalists for top cop, helmed by the International Associations of Chiefs of Police, retired Captain Roderick Porter emerged as the leader for the five-year appointment.

He checked all the boxes to what Ganim desired in a new chief.

But the appointment required some serendipity. Former New Haven Police Chief Renee Dominguez finished third on the list behind Captain Lonnie Blackwell and Garcia. The City Charter authorizes the mayor to select a chief from the top three finalists.

As it turned out Dominguez opted out of the final three process, to remain chief of another Connecticut department, elevating Porter to the third slot. He had also finished in the top three during the last search four years ago.

Dominguez, of Italian heritage married to a Hispanic, would certainly have had Ganim’s attention, depending on the reviews coming out of New Haven.

When Porter emerged then it was simply a question of how he achieved during public forums. He impressed.

Ganim wanted a steady hand who could heal racial divides within the department that included Garcia and Blackwell, something that played out during the three public forums. He also sought a chief to engage and build bridges in the community. Garcia was hesitant.

The notion that Ganim had implemented a media gag order on Garcia was a false narrative created by his critics. She had often rejected City Hall requests to be more accessible, even when the record could be controlled via social media.

As the community forums showcased, the barbs between Garcia and Blackwell spilled out for the public and other stakeholders to see, Blackwell feeling marginalized, Garcia feeling undercut by a subordinate. Porter’s easy authority on display created an effective contrast.

Ganim knew what he had with Garcia whom he had appointed assistant chief and then acting top cop after the cheating-scandal resignation of Armando Perez. It would be more of the same. Garcia meowed that Ganim’s pick was all about politics. Was it politics when he had appointed her acting top cop?

Ganim had considered Blackwell, whose community experience he regards, but in Porter he saw a bridge builder for the times.

Porter will be chief in an official capacity December 1. Garcia says she’s retiring after more than 30 years of service. There are assistant chief and deputy chief positions to fill. Blackwell could end up in one of those roles.

The report card on Chief Porter is way down the line, but as a candidate he was the logical choice.

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11 comments

  1. Parting thoughts.

    Lennie, OIB media, what ya selling, and who’s livin the role? 😀

    “The media sells it, and you live the role” The Apostle Osbourne, Crazy Train

    Did those boxes exist when Porter was passed over for AJ? 🙂

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCq4_YJB05I

    On the bright side things at least the World didn’t come to an end. Thanks, HBO Nostradamus special. SMH 😂

    Geraldo, still waiting to see what comes out of Al Capone’s Vaults. 🤣

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kK4yAmwpCU

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  2. Congratulations to the old man Chief Porter I hope for the citizens and for the men and women that will work under you that you are able to turn that department around. It will not be an easy task but I believe the old man can do it.
    As for Garcia I hear that everyone is waiting for her (Stage exit left).
    Bye bye Rebecca…

    https://youtu.be/9AJndhBGlZc

    2+

  3. Pending a major event, the focus of Only In Bridgeport during the first two weeks of November has been excessive, crowding out other City issues. Eight articles on the police forums and coming mayoral decision on the three candidates are what I direct your attention to if you are not clear.

    A personnel decision, but only one such in the City. Did we learn any more facts or data on exactly where personpower, department resources, number and kind of court issues pending regarding Police Department, and such? Why not? That is what the Mayor looks at presumably as the context of his decision. Those are the types of things he needs to look at in forming a future budget for spring presentation. Where is hatred and violence showing up? Have guns gone silent or disappeared? How soon will we guess at or know the right size of our police force, to be able to fund fair compensation for all? And reasonable compensation for a career in public safety with opportunity for those who wish to become more proficient in their profession? Time will tell.

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    1. John, John, have you learned anything from our friendship? 🙂

      With regards,

      John Marshall Lee says:

      November 14, 2022 at 8:42 am
      “When the times got tough, I didn’t resort to litigation” said Garcia .
      What did she resort to, since she must have suffered through some tough times? Did she retreat to silence and put some distance between her and whatever or whoever was aggravating? Did any of this build up a learning or memory that later showed itself in what consequences were meted out to those under her command? Perhaps we will never know.

      IDK, how about being a minority woman in the BPD dominated by males, particularly white males? You know that “white supremacy” thing. I think there was even “white supremacy” racist letters being distributed in the police departments, not too long ago. 😂

      With regards

      John Marshall Lee says:

      November 15, 2022 at 3:44 pm
      Pending a major event, the focus of Only In Bridgeport during the first two weeks of November has been excessive, crowding out other City issues. Eight articles on the police forums and coming mayoral decision on the three candidates are what I direct your attention to if you are not clear.

      This chief thing has been on the menu for quite some time. With many side orders and appetizers. From a push to oust Gaudett at cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars for the city taxpayer. Multiple lawsuits as a result. Cheating, and racist text-gate that ended the careers of a few officers and a government official employee. Which included prison and pension reduction. As always, more lawsuits that cost the city taxpayers. An illegal assistant chief of police appointment that resulted in even more lawsuits which cost the city taxpayers. A new police search at a cost. Let’s not forget dessert. An open public forum/press/media frenzy that involved the “communities” which culminated in the black and brown city divide in favor of the “white” guy who has to make that decision.

      What is clear there’s an election coming up and people tend to get antsy when they hunger. 😂

      It had it all. The only thing that has more is Gen Now. https://www.facebook.com/BPTGenNow/videos/437610381660901

      They are a breath of fresh air. They like Prego. It’s in there. Talke about Test the Movement. Even Mario gets a whiff of it. 😂

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J87QekxQVI

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    3. Though, they might be on to something. 🙂

      https://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/election-complaint-filed-against-moore-questions-petition-signatures/

      Add some salt and pepper, mixing it up, making it spicy, with a dash of smoke. 🙂 I am sure Mario’s Italian guinea Chef Boyardees understand the power of the ingredients, spices of salt and pepper when cooking, yum, delicious. 🤣

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLJX6CEkgto

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    5. Let me try to explain my thought process and how Gen Now use their spices, depending on what they want o cook and serve the Port as to what is deemed rigged or un-rigged.

      You had a public discussion about a library being built on a parcel of land that currently lies a community garden. It is hard to go against a library in a predominantly black/minority neighborhood in favor of a garden, considering blacks were brought to the part of the world for that very “SERVITUDE” and in some cases, many blacks were forbidden/undermined, and even against the law for blacks to learn how to read
      But Gen Now was for whatever reason, (I believe) not in favor for the library/education. Many today blacks living in America might not see a garden over a library for black kids/people in the neighborhood, as a wise decision. So you have a white girl out front speaking in favor of the garden.

      You have a black girl who speaks out against Sound on Sound, an over-price music festival that targeted white people where the city has the potential to make hundreds of dollars in revenue for its residents.
      That aims to weaken the potential revenue stream for the promoter, who they are against, and the city by extension by the means of drawing racial lines in their ingredient called diversity/mistreatment/overlook/marginalize of minorities as part of the venue/concerted.

      It doesn’t make any sense to limit a two-day venue’s profitability for the city based on the racial make that has the potential to generate hundred of those of dollars for the city’s coffers that will benefit the city that is mostly minorities, just to hurt/unrig the promoter who they are not in favor of.

      So it’s going to be interesting to see how Gen Now uses its spices and what they are going to cook and sever to the residents of the Port. As to who they deemed unrigged and favorable in the next mayoral election.

      Personally speaking, Moore had a shot to run for mayor against G2, but she didn’t prevail. A Moore runs this time around weakens the minority candidate, Rosario/brown against white G2, considering G2 picked a black person, Porter, who Gen Now supported, over a Brown person, Acting Chief Garcia for the permanent position.

      It is quite possible that Gen Now, and maybe others as well, would support another run for Moore/black against G2/white, undercutting Rosario/brown’s run. A process that would favor the white guy, G2., considering the racial divide between Black and Brown that culminated/arose out of the discussion/decision for the chief of police position. With racist allegation that flipped from what was once black and brown mistreatment/struggles in the BPD to Black and White struggles/mistreatment by officers, be it in or out of the BPD

      Being white and coming off of four years of Trumpism, ’White Supremacy”, and George Floyd’s death it was pretty rich with a unique taste and flavor to my buds when I read such claims that were leveled against white officers being mistreatment for disciplinary reasons, along with blacks. SMH

      Though to be fair Chris probably wasn’t too upset that Moore lost so he can run against white G2 himself in what would be this coming election. A Moore entry, if Rosario runs will create a crowded divide field that benefits white/G2, considering the controversy that has been created in the black and brown divide. So there very well might be some LOGIC behind the manner and G2’s LOGICAL CHOICE.

      I won’t say the word collusion or rigged, but if Rosario runs, assuming he will, considering he thought about it and would have liked to run four years ago but sat out. Given the chance and Moore sits out assumes Gen Now still thinks G2/Mario are corrupted and looking to unrig the city. With Gen Now support for Chris, they might see the city unrigged and its city’s first minority mayor. But if they support a Moore run that crowed the field that ultimately benefits the white guy. They may be in the kitchen cooking with many spices for the master/white G2. IMO JS

      https://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/gemeem-davis-tapped-to-manage-moores-mayoral-campaign/

      What’s on the menu for dinner in next year’s mayoral election? Time will Till 😂

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=993nvsfwvnY

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