Positive Community Involvement is a Cornerstone of the East Hartford Police Department
We have all been outraged and emotionally impacted by the untimely death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, and recent events that stemmed from that incident across the nation. What happened to Mr. Floyd was unacceptable and unjustified. It’s hard to put into words the feelings that overwhelm us as a community. Throughout the day on Monday, June 8, the Town Hall’s cupola was lit up in crimson and gold in memory Mr. Floyd and in solidarity with his family, our community and our nation. In the coming days, East Hartford will proudly fly the Black Lives Matter flag in recognition of our support of the movement. Strong leadership is needed now more than ever and East Hartford has that strong leadership. For generations, we prided ourselves on being a fully diverse, close-knit community that rises and falls together.
The death of George Floyd has opened our eyes to social injustice within our communities and the work we need to do. Moving forward, we must address the inequities that led us here. We must collectively identify how we can positively impact our community, the changes that need to be made and the voices that need to be heard, to allow us to be stronger advocates, ensuring that we get the representation and funding that is critical to support the marginalized members of our communities. As such, I’ve committed to the Obama Foundation Mayoral Pledge that asks us to:
1. REVIEW police use of force policies.
2. ENGAGE communities by including a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories in review.
3. REPORT the findings of the review to the community and seek feedback.
4. REFORM the community’s police use of force policies.
With that said, I am proud to say that we have an amazing police force, led by an outstanding Chief of Police, who, throughout his nearly 7-year tenure, instituted a series of changes to enhance the Police Department’s operations. These changes include the establishment of a Professional Standards Bureau, de-escalation training and an annually required Bias and Diversity Training. Additionally, Chief Sansom established a community policing program, which now consists of over 90 community events with the goal of building stronger positive connections between police officers and the community.
In November of 2019 the East Hartford Police Department was formally awarded and received accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). CALEA is a credentialing authority which mission is to accredit public safety agencies found in compliance with established professional standards and consistently demonstrate excellence in their policies, procedures, and practices.
The accreditation process opens agencies to a review while demonstrating they operate as part of the community and are responsible to it. CALEA standards help create clear expectations for public safety personnel and supports best practices in law enforcement. It has been a long process of diligent self-assessment of the department’s documentation, compliance with requirements and standards that led to the EHPD’s successful accreditation. The accreditation is an instrumental accomplishment that recognizes the police department’s full commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our community and compliance with international standards of 21st century policing.
Under my time as Mayor I voluntarily enrolled East Hartford Police Department into the CALEA Program, knowing that our department needed improvements. Chief Sansom has truly enhanced every aspect of the police department during his time, building a police force that reflects the community we live in. The Town of East Hartford is only one of a handful of departments in CT to reach accreditation and as a community, we all should be proud of the work they have done.
Community involvement remains a cornerstone of the East Hartford Police Department. We encourage and welcome cooperative policing. We stand side-by-side with our community, and strive to continue providing opportunities and transparency. Recognizing that concept is dynamic, that policing is ever-changing and constantly evolving, we depend on our community to help guide us in our efforts to protect and serve them, and to develop ways we can continue to ensure we all continue to move forward, together. Strong healthy communities control crime rates and quality of life-not the police. In East Hartford, we police the way our community wants to be policed. That recipe makes for better, stronger and most importantly a more respected police department.
God bless,
Marcia A. Leclerc
Mayor, Town of East Hartford