Norwich residents and common council discuss police reform plan
The City of Norwich Police Department Collaborative Improvement Plan was created by the Community Advisory Board and has had weekly meetings focusing on the reform since September 2020. The city recently held a hearing about the plan. (Photo by Tyler Murphy)
NORWICH – During the public hearing portion of last week’s common council meeting, Norwich residents and common council members expressed their thoughts on the new police reform plan.
The City of Norwich Police Department Collaborative Improvement Plan was created by the Community Advisory Board, or CAB, which has held weekly meetings focusing on the reform since September 2020. These meetings have yielded several recommendations to improve the Norwich Police Department, both in the short and long term.
Among the recommendations were an increase in support to officers responding to mental health and substance abuse calls. Survey results stated in the reform plan showed the greatest concern among residents were, “Mental Health Crises/High Risk Behaviors,” with “Substance Abuse/Drugs” being a close second.
Another issue covered in the reform plan was the lack of community outreach and interaction by the Norwich Police Department. About 36 percent of surveyed residents stated that the NPD “Does little or nothing to communicate with community members.” This is something Norwich resident Harry Graves finds troubling.
During the common council meeting, Graves stated that “there’s no interaction with the public, and that saddens me very greatly.” He also said that he no longer knows who the Norwich policemen are, which is something he misses.
Graves also informed common council members of an incident he witnessed in which NPD officers followed a resident who appeared drunk, and subsequently arrested him. He recommended local police focus on de-escalation practices.
“If we wanted to de-escalate the process couldn’t we have said, back at the very beginning, ‘Kid, it looks like you’re not doing well tonight, can I make a phone call for you?’ How would that have de-escalated the entire situation? That’s part of my concern,” he said.
Despite his criticisms, Graves also recognized the reform plan as a step in the right direction. “You did a great job,” he said. “The quotes, the recommendations, the suggestions I felt were right on the mark.” This sentiment was echoed by another Norwich resident who spoke during the public hearing.
“I see this process as a really positive step for the community to build and maintain trust in our city government and with our police department,” he said.
Council members also discussed their own thoughts and concerns about the reform plan. Alderman Matthew Caldwell expressed his wish to have CAB put each individual recommendation to a vote before changing or implementing anything. He stated that “there are some things in this plan that I wholeheartedly agree with, and there are some things in this plan that I wholeheartedly disagree with.”
Alderwoman Nancy Allaire, however, supports the plan because of all the thought and effort that went into creating it. “I certainly hope that we will move forward on all of the recommendations one way or another, and look at them all,” she said.
Norwich residents who wish to review the plan can find it on the City of Norwich webpage, under the Community Advisory Board tab.
The City of Norwich Police Department Collaborative Improvement Plan was created by the Community Advisory Board, or CAB, which has held weekly meetings focusing on the reform since September 2020. These meetings have yielded several recommendations to improve the Norwich Police Department, both in the short and long term.
Among the recommendations were an increase in support to officers responding to mental health and substance abuse calls. Survey results stated in the reform plan showed the greatest concern among residents were, “Mental Health Crises/High Risk Behaviors,” with “Substance Abuse/Drugs” being a close second.
Another issue covered in the reform plan was the lack of community outreach and interaction by the Norwich Police Department. About 36 percent of surveyed residents stated that the NPD “Does little or nothing to communicate with community members.” This is something Norwich resident Harry Graves finds troubling.
During the common council meeting, Graves stated that “there’s no interaction with the public, and that saddens me very greatly.” He also said that he no longer knows who the Norwich policemen are, which is something he misses.
Graves also informed common council members of an incident he witnessed in which NPD officers followed a resident who appeared drunk, and subsequently arrested him. He recommended local police focus on de-escalation practices.
“If we wanted to de-escalate the process couldn’t we have said, back at the very beginning, ‘Kid, it looks like you’re not doing well tonight, can I make a phone call for you?’ How would that have de-escalated the entire situation? That’s part of my concern,” he said.
Despite his criticisms, Graves also recognized the reform plan as a step in the right direction. “You did a great job,” he said. “The quotes, the recommendations, the suggestions I felt were right on the mark.” This sentiment was echoed by another Norwich resident who spoke during the public hearing.
“I see this process as a really positive step for the community to build and maintain trust in our city government and with our police department,” he said.
Council members also discussed their own thoughts and concerns about the reform plan. Alderman Matthew Caldwell expressed his wish to have CAB put each individual recommendation to a vote before changing or implementing anything. He stated that “there are some things in this plan that I wholeheartedly agree with, and there are some things in this plan that I wholeheartedly disagree with.”
Alderwoman Nancy Allaire, however, supports the plan because of all the thought and effort that went into creating it. “I certainly hope that we will move forward on all of the recommendations one way or another, and look at them all,” she said.
Norwich residents who wish to review the plan can find it on the City of Norwich webpage, under the Community Advisory Board tab.
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