Conn. Police Chief Looks to Expand Force as Community Heals

Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould announced Wednesday that the department is looking to recruit as many as 20 additional officers as the grieving community looks to heal after the deaths of Bristol police Lt. Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy.

Gould and Bristol Mayor Jeff Caggiano spoke about the need to expand the city’s police force at a Wednesday press conference at the Bristol Police Department that thanked the community for its outpouring of financial and emotional support.

“We’re putting out a call to action,” Gould said. “We’re going to need to hire quality police officers, and we need to do it very quickly.”

RELATED:

Gould said the Bristol Police Department’s sworn force comprises 122 personnel, 90 of which are deployable. Non-deployable personnel include officers still undergoing training in the police academy and others on long-term leave.

Gould said Bristol’s recruitment targets certified officers who can begin work less than six weeks after their hire date. He hopes to hire a minimum of 10 officers and as many as 20. Those interested in joining the Bristol police force can apply through the department’s website.

“One of the things I’m looking to do is overhire so that we can keep up with any attrition rates because I’m certainly not going to allow us to get up our staffing just to go backward,” Gould said.

Caggiano said that he hopes the sacrifice of Hamzy and DeMonte will inspire others to join the force.

“The need for police officers is obviously very pressing to us here in Bristol, but this is actually a statewide and a national problem. I do hope that one silver lining from this tragic event will be that we have more people get involved in protecting and serving our community.”

Hamzy and DeMonte were shot and killed on Oct. 12 while responding to a call for a domestic violence situation. Officials have described the incident, which remains under investigation, as an “ambush attack.”

Gould said that Officer Alec Iurato, who was injured during the shooting, will return to the department once he fully recovers.

“Officer Iurato is a true hero. … If he had his way, he’d be in here right now,” Gould said. “I think we’re going to see him back rather quickly. In fact, I’m probably going to have to be putting the brakes on him to make sure that he gets well.”

The rest of the Bristol Police Department also continues to heal. Gould said officers have access to employee assistance programs, peer support teams made up of civilians, physicians and officers from outside departments, therapy dogs and other resources.

“Officer wellness is a top priority. And as you know, with any trauma, it could be the day of, it could be the day later, it could be six months from now. So this is going to be an ongoing process,” Gould said.

Gould said that as the community has rallied around its “heroes” in blue, it is important to remember that they are not superheroes.

“They’re human beings,” Gould said. “They’re out there and they’re truly remarkable and [it’s] amazing that they’re getting back in the saddle and going out. But they took their oath and swore to do without these superpowers. And while they’re grieving, we’re very appreciative of the men and women of the Bristol Police Department for everything they’re doing and have been doing and will continue to do on a daily basis.”

Gould thanked the municipal and state police departments that stepped up to protect the community when Bristol police had to halt its operations.

“We can’t do this alone. And we’re seeing that we’re not alone,” Gould said.

Caggiano said that the two department-sanctioned fundraising efforts for Hamzy and DeMonte’s families are approaching nearly $1 million in donations. He said that in 11 days, a Fund the First donation page raised $515,955 and the Bristol Police Heroes Fund has raised $310,000.

Caggiano shared stories of large gifts, including a man from Old Saybrook who contributed $30,000, and small but poignant donations, such as a man who left cards and a wrinkled dollar bill for Hamzy and DeMonte’s families at their wake.

“He was not fully dressed for a wake, to be very honest. He looked like he was a man down on his luck. And he looked at me and he said, ‘Where’s the donation place?’” Caggiano said. “I know in my heart that was probably the last dollar that that gentleman had for that day. And I understand the need for people to give and to support, and it was truly moving to me. And I need to see that support continue throughout the community and throughout the state.”

Caggiano said that the department has received so many food donations that they have donated the surplus to local shelters and pantries.

Across town, blue lights shine in the night to show support for police officers, something Caggiano encourages people across the state to partake in.

Outside the department, a memorial for Hamzy and DeMonte continues to grow. A retired police cruiser is enveloped by hundreds of flowers, flags, stuffed animals and messages. Toward the entrance of the department stands an itinerant statue displayed at departments where an officer has been killed in the line of duty. It depicts St. Michael, sword in the air, as he cradles a fallen officer. Two stories of letters, drawings and prayers from Connecticut’s school children wrap around the department’s windowed vestibule.

“We know that [the memorial] is an important part of the healing process for the community, and we want that to continue,” Caggiano said.

Caggiano and Gould said that the town will form a subcommittee to discuss how the Heroes Fund will be dispersed, ideas for a more permanent memorial and how the city will continue to honor the legacies of Hamzy and DeMonte.

“The outpouring of sympathy, grief and the need to help has been truly astounding,” Caggiano said. “I’m going to try to hope that I can push the community and the greater community of Connecticut and maybe this country to stay focused on keeping this alive and moving this positive energy forward.”

_____

Visit courant.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.