Declaring community engagement is the best way to solve and reduce crime, Police Chief Roderick Porter on Monday joined Mayor Joe Ganim, see video above, to issue the oath to a new police class, 27 of which will spend six months in the training academy.
Porter emphasized the hiring of more than 100 new officers the past 18 months has buoyed staffing levels to boost community policing. The department had struggled to keep pace with retirements and others gravitating to suburban departments.
Porter also has recruited lateral hires from other departments, a tool prior chiefs did not enjoy previously.
A recent study conducted by Matrix Consulting Group, commissioned by the City Council, revealed that about 330 officers is sufficient to service a city of Bridgeport’s size, the most populous in Connecticut at roughly 150,000. The new recruits bring the current numbers to about that level, though Porter has stated he’d prefer the number to be about 400 officers.
Porter statement from PD Facebook page:
Congratulations to each new recruit for taking the first step in this challenging and rewarding journey. The next six months will test your strength, determination, and teamwork — but with focus and unity, you will rise to the occasion. Stay strong, support one another, and never lose sight of why you started. Welcome to the beginning of something extraordinary.
I like Porter’s number of 400……………………….go 425 the more police presence the better in the long run