Andrew T. Jaffee, the director of emergency services for the city of Hartford, has been fired over several problems with how 911 dispatched emergency officials in the city, Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra announced on Thursday.
Jaffee was in charge of Emergency Services and Telecommunications, which includes the dispatchers, and there have been several high-profile mistakes involving 911 over the last two years.
Segarra cited several problems as contributing to the personnel decision.
The most recent problem with 911 happened last week when callers reported a shooting on Linnmoore Street.
911 calls released show that a dispatcher sent police to the wrong address, located almost a mile away from the correct location, even though the correct address was audible on the 911 call.
Officers eventually showed up and found nothing, but neighbors discovered a body in a yard the next morning.
There is an investigation into police, as well as the dispatcher in that incident.
One of the 911 calls, includes a dispatcher hanging up on a woman who called for help because the caller wouldn’t give her name.
In July, another civilian dispatcher made a racial slur over a police radio.
In May 2011, Hartford Police missed a body in a home on Goodrich Street. She was not found until two months later.
A postal carrier called police in May to report that mail was piling up at a house. Police went to investigate, but a dispatcher made a mistake and turned them away.
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In July, a landscaper who voluntarily cut the grass called 911 and police found the body of Debbie Jurasus, 48, who died of natural causes in May.
Neighbors said they knew something was wrong because of the smell coming from the home after people broke into the residence and stole Jurasus’ car.
Segarra said on Wednesday that the city launched an investigation into the city's emergency dispatch center.
On Thursday, the mayor said callers should be treated with courtesy and he is concerned about services dispatched to wrong places.
Some Hartford City Councilors are now questioning Jaffee's use of his city vehicle.
Jaffee is required to be a Hartford resident as a department head, and actually testified about it a few months ago when city officials brought it up.
However, Jaffe's neighbors said he parked a black Ford Explorer in the driveway of his West Suffield home.
"We did ask him if he resided in the city of Hartford. He did reply he does live in the city." City Councilor Raul DeJesus Jr. said.
"He has a black Ford Explorer that he drives, but I don't know if that's connected with something he bought himself," said resident Shawn Lopez.
DeJesus said the city assigned Jaffee a black Explorer and he questioned whether Jaffe drove the city-issued take home car to a West Suffield address, located 25 miles away from the workplace.
The Hartford address that Jaffee claims to reside at is on Woodland Street, just two miles from the office, and Jaffee does own a condominium there.
A condo worker at the front desk said he has been working there for six years and has never seen Jaffee.
“There's a lot of markers, a lot of red flags,” DeJesus said.
The City of Hartford is currently doing an audit of all its cars.
This started after the Mayor’s former Chief of Staff was arrested for using his old city vehicle without permission after he resigned. It was unclear what the audit will find on Jaffee’s car, but it was being looked at.
That audit should be complete in the next few weeks. Jaffee could not be reached for comment at the Suffield and Hartford addresses, or by phone.
