In one week, voters will make a big decision for the future of the City of New Haven.
They will decide who should win the Democratic mayoral primary and then move onto the general election.
After three shootings recently left one person dead and two hurt in New Haven, crime is on the minds of many.
Ways to reduce it was something we asked the Democratic mayoral candidates.
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“We need to do a lot more. What we are doing is a multi-prong strategy that is working, that is increasing the number of officers on the walking beat,” said Mayor Justin Elicker, D – candidate for New Haven mayor.
“We need to think about more complex ways to investigate the illegal gun pipeline and take those guns off of our streets,” said Liam Brennan, D – candidate for New Haven mayor.
Elicker and Brennan took part in a mayoral debate sponsored by the New Haven Democracy Fund at Career Regional High on Tuesday.
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While there are areas of agreement, one thing they disagreed on is the proposed expansion of Tweed-New Haven Airport. Elicker is for it, while Brennan is against it right now.
“It’s very telling that there might be significant environmental effects that people are not wanting to pay attention to,” Brennan said.
“The number of people that are using it, the number of people who might have not been able to afford it before and the number of jobs it is creating,” Elicker said.
Elicker previously served as a city alder and is now running for a third term as mayor.
Brennan is a former Legal Aid attorney and now serves as the inspector general in Hartford, where he investigates allegations of police misconduct.
“I thrive off the idea we can get things done that no one, that people said we couldn’t get done. You can be there to help people out in their challenging moments,” Elicker said.
“I love New Haven. I think it’s a phenomenal city. I think our city government can do a lot better. I think we need vision for what we want out of the future,” Brennan said.
The primary is set for Sept. 12. The winner will move onto the general election in November where they could face other challengers.
