Finizio Envisions a Safer City

As a new face on New London’s political scene, Daryl Finizio, one of two Democrats running for mayor, is keen for people to get to know him. Which is why on Saturday, he held the second of a series of public events intended to let people know where he stands on the issues.

The open forum at New London Pizza attracted about 30 people and they weren’t just there for a free slice of pepperoni pizza. They wanted to hear more about Finizio’s proposals for public safety. As an attorney, Finizio has a lot to say on the subject of criminal justice. “There are a number of things I think we can do better in New London,” he says.

Finizio has a variety of proposals to reduce and prevent street-level crime. For instance, he wants to expand New London’s COMPSTAT program. This is a computer program that analyzes 911 calls and police incident reports to determine the time and location of different types of criminal activity. Finizio says expanding the program to encompass the entire city would allow the police department to beef up patrols in areas where they are most needed. He also proposes to increase the number of surveillance cameras throughout the city, particularly in parks that may attract drug dealers. “In every major city, use of security cameras shows a major effect on street level crime,” he says.

Finizio is a big believer in community policing and would like to see more cops walking a beat so they can get to know the neighborhood and neighbors can get to know them. To eliminate the “us vs. them” philosophy that Finizio says sometimes arises when police commute to work, he’d consider bringing back a residency requirement, or at least provide incentives to encourage members of New London Police Department to make the city their home.  

To improve relations between law enforcement and citizens, Finizio wants to establish a protocol of "Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect" for all city employees, and would provide training and clearer procedures to help law enforcement officers deal with the public. If elected, Finizio says, one of his first acts would be to sign an executive order establishing a “zero-tolerance policy for racial profiling.”

Because the new mayor will have the sole power to appoint and relieve agency heads, including the police and fire chiefs, one attendee asked whether Finizio supported the current police chief, Margaret Ackley. “I support Chief Ackley,” said Finizio. “I would look to retain her. She’s on the right track. I know that she has gotten strong institutional resistance. I think she’s part of the solution and the resistance is part of the problem.”   

As mayor, Finizio says, he would support the creation of a community court to deal with quality of life issues such as vandalism. Instead of sentencing vandals to probation or fines, Finizio suggests the punishment should fit the crime. Someone caught spraying graffiti, for instance, should be made to clean it up as part of their punishment. In New York City, he says, this policy led to a dramatic decrease in graffiti.

At the same time, Finizio says, he would strengthen partnerships between police, probation officers, and existing city and community-based programs that serve at-risk youth.

“New London has no shortage of good people doing good things,” he says. “There are programs everywhere but it’s not coordinated. One hand doesn’t know what the other is doing. One of the great things about having a mayor is the mayor can get out there and bring attention to these programs.”

Finizio would like to see greater coordination and cooperation between police, fire, and emergency medical responders too. He points out that New London in the path of major hurricanes, neighbors a nuclear power plant, and is home to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Electric Boat and the Navy’s submarine program. He wants to ensure that the city is prepared for every possible emergency, including potential terrorist attacks.

"We need to understand that interdepartmental response is essential,” Finizio says. “Public safety is not just police. It’s broader than that.”

Finizio’s next public forum will be on April 12 at Spirit Gallery Tattoo from 6 to 8 p.m., during which he will present his proposals for the city’s budget and finance.