News

11/17/2020 - 11/17/20-Strengthening Police & Community Partnership program

News Release

Hamden Mayor Curt Leng, along with Hamden Police Chief John Sullivan, are pleased to announce the establishment of the Strengthening Police and Community Partnerships (SPCP) program in the Town of Hamden. This program is a collaborative effort of Hamden residents, town officials and the U.S. Department of Justice - Community Relations Service. This initiative will include a diverse group of Hamden citizens that will be divided into various stakeholder groups. They will have important conversations about their opinions of the Hamden Police Department, police reform, crime and quality of life issues in town. The program will take place on November 30, 2020 thru December 07, 2020. The meetings will be held in a “virtual” format due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The SPCP program is designed to improve public safety by strengthening trust and developing partnerships between law enforcement professionals and the diverse communities they serve. The SPCP program engages local law enforcement and community members in a dialogue to identify issues and solve problems collaboratively.

The program can also help address issues that hinder police-community partnerships. The outcome of the SPCP program will be an action plan with tangible solutions that are implemented with the help of a SPCP Council. The council will be formed as part of the program during the community sessions. The SPCP Council will act in an advisory capacity and work with law enforcement leaders in Hamden to implement the action plan.

In participating in this program, the Hamden Police Department believes that our relationship with the community will be strategically strengthened through these efforts. By taking a pro-active approach, the police department will continue to place a strong emphasis on building community partnerships to better serve Hamden residents. The plan will be to foster better relationships with our citizens by building trust and working together to improve the overall quality of life in Hamden.

Mayor Leng commented on the SPCP program, "The Strengthening Police & Community Partnership program has proven very successful in communities across the Nation, bringing local communities and police departments closer together. It’s all about building relationships and trust, and offering a space and a process with a proven track record, in an effort to really hear each other and work together. This program can be another strong step toward building a safer Hamden for all. Hamden volunteered to participate in this program because we believe so strongly in the positive impact this program can bring to our community. I’m very thankful to our entire Hamden Police Department and to our diverse range of community partners, participants and voices who have dedicated themselves to doing this good work for our Town."
Chief Sullivan also commented, “We are looking forward to hearing from all members of our community. We understand that there may be some tough conversations about issues with policing in Hamden. Our goal is to develop solutions by creating a partnership between law enforcement and community stakeholders.”

The Hamden Police Department looks forward to this opportunity to engage with citizens and listen to their ideas and suggestions. The feedback that is generated from these discussions will be invaluable to the success of the SPCP program. Any Hamden residents or business owners that are interested in participating in the SPCP program can contact Susan Rubino srubino@hamden.com, Sergeant William Onofrio wionofrio@hamdenpd.com or Detective Sean Dolan sdolan@hamdenpd.com.