Gun violence in New Haven is on the decline, but there's still more to be done. That's why Gov. Dannel Malloy visited the city today to address violence and how to keep the community safe.
New Haven resident Sierra Taylor said she has seen firsthand what it's doing to her community.
“I'm losing kids that I grew up with in elementary school. You sit in the classroom with them as a memory and never think you'd see them die to gun violence,” said Taylor.
Malloy wanted to hear from residents like Taylor when he made his visit today. He walked the beat with police officers, who pointed out improvements to the city's Newhallville neighborhood, which traditionally has been plagued with crime.
After the walk, police and community members gathered at the Lincoln-Bassett School to go over what has been working and where improvements need to be made.
“Things don't get bad overnight, they don't get good overnight. But I think the chief here, who used to be my chief in Stamford, has the right approach, and that's to get back to relationships,” Malloy said.
He said community policing is the only way to keep the area safe. In Newhallville, police are forming relationships with the people who live there, and the culture is changing.
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“The community itself is just tired; they're not scared anymore. They're stepping up now; they're helping the police department; they're helping themselves which is a big thing, because that's where it all starts,” said New Haven Police Lt. Kenneth Blanchard.
It's a step in the right direction, and the governor said what proves to be working here in the Elm City can translate to other urban areas, and vice versa.
“I think some of the lessons we've learned in New Haven, we're implementing. Some of the lessons I learned as Mayor of Stamford 14 years ago, lowering crime by 60 percent, we're doing,” Malloy said.
