The ambassadors have been walking the streets of downtown New Haven since 1998, providing information and services to the community. Now, the program might allow them to take on a larger role to help cut crime.
The Town Green Special Services District hired 15 Downtown Ambassadors for community safety efforts. They alert police if they see a crime in progress, assist people with walking or driving directions, provide maintenance services for the streets and sidewalks seven days a week.
Douglas Hausladen, a Downtown Alderman, thinks other neighborhoods in New Haven would be safer if they had ambassadors and clean teams too.
"By employing people that have been already out of work, and giving them some training as well, to use the police radios or to communicate better with our police department, you actually get a really good, leveraged bang for your buck," said Hausladen.
Downtown Ambassadors serve as the extra eyes and ears for the New Haven Police Department.
New Haven police cruisers are extremely visible downtown and Hausladen doesn't want his plan to cost any cops their jobs. Downtown Ambassadors serve as the extra eyes and ears for the New Haven Police Department.
The clean teams and ambassadors only augment the police department. Hausladen said. "They cannot replace the valuable service our police department does in New Haven."
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One resident NBC Connecticut spoke to thinks expanding the ambassador program will bring crime down massively.
"Will it cut crime down? They say yes, so I believe that it will bring the crime rate down," said Scotticesa Marks.
She's all for the idea of hiring ambassadors, but for now it's only an idea.
