HARTFORD, Conn — The Hartford Police Department's interim chief began a multi-stop tour of the capital city Monday.
The tour gives city residents a chance to hear from Interim Chief Kenny Howell and learn more about him, while expressing any concerns they may have.
Howell began the tour by introducing himself while sharing his journey in law enforcement. He said engaging with the community at all levels is how effective community policing can be done to combat crime.
He added that it was his idea to tour the different communities around the city.
“I woke up one morning, believe it or not, and I said, you know what, I need to get out more in the community so that they can get to know me,” said Howell.
Howell was appointed as interim chief in July by Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, after former Police Chief Jason Thody retired. Since overseeing the department, Howell has prioritized community policing. This summer, he announced five officers would be dedicated to foot patrols in the city, which he said has been well-received.
“We've had great reviews. People beep their horn, they write letters, they call me, they've called the mayor's office. The community loves it, and I'm in love with it,” said Howell.
Howell said the idea was so well-received that residents asked if there would be more. While he does plan to expand the foot patrols, he first needs more police officers.
“I need over 100 police officers and then we'll have more walk beats in this city, but it is going wonderful. Just the other day, the two officers saved someone's life, walking a beat on this street,” said Howell.
According to the latest crime stats, city-wide crime is down in every category except for one. Howell credited hard-working officers and new initiatives at the department, saying he’s hopeful crime will continue to go down.
“We’re actually doing the work, we're actually out there engaging, there's new initiatives going on. There’re initiatives on midnight shift, for rims, stolen vehicles and so forth…there's another initiative with the community crime suppression team that's been out there working with detectives and street crime units and people have seen them out there and they're doing a wonderful job. So, it's working,” said Howell.
Residents said attending this event allowed them to better understand what Howell envisions for the future of the department and the city.
“He wants to be in touch with the merchants, he wants to be in touch with the community at large and build trust relationships with the community at large, and I think that's a great approach,” said Clodomiro Falcon, a Hartford resident.
Howell said he does plan to pursue the position of Chief of Police once it opens.
“I think I can bring this department into the future, and I want to create a community policing program that is robust and that’s revered by many,” said Howell.
The “Meet the Interim Chief” tour continues throughout the month going from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the following locations:
- Tuesday, Sept. 10 - 3340 Main St., West Indian Social Club
- Monday, Sept. 16 - Pratt Street.
- Tuesday, Sept. 17 - 136 Westland St., Urban Hope Refuge Church (followed by a walk over to Norris Barber Shop, 183 Barbour St.).
- Wednesday, Sept. 18 - Parkville Market.
- Tuesday, Sept. 24 - 77 Sherman St., Hartford International University for Religion and Peace Community Room.
- Wednesday, Sept. 25 - 99 Park River Dr., The Community Room at the Village at Park River.
- Thursday, Sept. 26 - 830 Maple Ave., South End Senior Center.
Jake Garcia is a multimedia journalist for FOX61 News. He can be reached at jgarcia@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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