Ron Gambardella, the Hamden Republican mayoral candidate, plans to focus on reducing the town’s crime rates if he wins the Nov. 2 election.
Gambardella said Hamden’s crime rates are the second-biggest issue the town faces, after improving the financial situation. In a story reported by HQNN, Gambardella said that he plans on reworking the budget and ensuring that the town’s taxes do not increase.
Decreasing the crime in Hamden is something Gambardella said needs to be prioritized.
“I think the No. 1 thing is police on the street, for example, foot patrols,” Gambardella said. “I think the key thing is visibility and reliability.”
According to Neighborhood Scout, Hamden’s crime index is 20, meaning it is safer than 20% of cities in the U.S. There is a 1 in 304 chance of being a victim of a violent crime in Hamden, compared with the 1 in 545 chance in the whole state of Connecticut, according to the website.
Gambardella said there are about 65,000 calls that come into Hamden’s police station every year. There are 63,000 residents in Hamden, so Gambardella said this number is one he wants to reduce, since that would mean there’s nearly one call per resident.
In order to reduce the crime rate, which is 2.5%, Gambardella wants to expand the police presence in town. He said many officers are currently working overtime, and to combat the overexertion of the police force, he will hire people to work part-time.
“It would be really beneficial to the town,” Gambardella said. “(The part-time officers) can get records, get police reports, answer questions residents might have. You don’t really need a dedicated active duty police officer doing those kinds of busywork.”
By hiring people part-time, it will also prevent contributing to the poor financial state of the town. Gambardella said it is expensive to add full-time people to the police force, so supplementing with part-time workers is the best solution.
Gambardella said that having police on the street walking around in an “unpredictable pattern” will help reduce the crime rate. He said it will also help people feel safe and comfortable to go outside.
Another thing Gambardella thinks is essential is installing cameras throughout public areas in Hamden. New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker pitched a $12 million proposal to install cameras around the city in order to deter crime.
“I like that idea,” Gambardella said. “I’d have to run it by the citizens of Hamden and see if they like the idea.”
Gambardella said he wants to use different tactics to help reduce crime, but believes that increasing police presence and installing cameras will be the best way to do so.
However, Gambardella said he recognizes that putting a lot of officers in one place can give the impression it is a high-crime area, which can make people feel unsafe.
“You have to balance police availability in a particular area of commerce against people’s perception,” Gambardella said. “You got to balance it, and maybe the cameras would be a good way to do that.”
Gambardella said that no matter what he does, he wants to make sure the Hamden residents are part of the decision-making.
“Something that’s never been done before is pushing the power of the mayor’s office to the people, so they can have a voice in government,” Gambardella said.