With violence an increasing concern in New Haven, the city will to hire more police officers.
In March, Chief Dean Esserman officially requested changes to the current year's city budget to fully staff all car beats, double the number of walking beats and double the size of Internal Affairs.
The board of alderman on Monday night voted unanimously in favor of Esserman's request.
The chief's goal is to re-establish community policing. Part of the money to pay for those new officers would come from a federal grant.
The proposed budget amendment is the first part of a two-phase plan, designed to unfold over the next three years, to increase the strength of the department.
