Thirty-one officer candidates began their training at the New Haven Police Academy Monday as the department deals with a growing officer shortage.
“We need these officers in our communities as soon as possible,” Chief Anthony Campbell said. “After a wave of retirements and the loss of many recent academy graduates to our suburbs, I’m happy this has gotten underway," he said.
Mayor Toni Harp led the swearing-in at the police academy for the 31 members of the 23rd recruit class.
“Growing up in Connecticut and close to New Haven I always had a prestige for New Haven that it’s a great city and I wanted to be part of a bigger department that has a good reputation,” Jennifer Giovanni said.
Giovanni is one of 12 women in a recruit class that police say is the most diverse in a decade. Half of the aspiring officers are black or Hispanic and nine are New Haven residents.
“They can relate to the community’s needs a little bit better than those coming in from outside cities and areas,” said Assistant Chief Racheal Cain, who is in charge of Professional Standards. “Our academy teaches them not just about the law and tactics, they teach them the importance of community policing.”
The start of the academy class had been postponed three months because of a scandal at NHPD. Two officers stepped down after an investigation found they falsified documents while conducting applicant background checks.
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NBC Connecticut reported the union is pushing for better pay while the department could be down about 130 officers at the end of the year.
“Obviously, we’ve been down officers for a while now and these officers with substitute some of them,” Chief Cain said.
Recruit Jawan Haddock was born and raised in New Haven. He said he looks forward to wearing his uniform in the neighborhood where he grew up.
“The feeling that I made it,” he said. “And now it’s my turn to give back to the community, same thing they gave me.”
A section of the academy training is focused on narcotics and the issue of addiction, Cain said, adding they will use the police response to the spike in K2 overdoses on the New Haven Green as a teachable moment.
The police academy runs 32 weeks before the officer candidates go through field training. Graduation is scheduled for April.
