RMA Presents: Police Accountability – Our Role in the Greenwich Community
By Arnold Gordon
At the May 25 meeting of the Retired Men’s Association, Bob Rimmer introduced James Heavey, Chief of Police of the Town of Greenwich. Jim is a native and long-term resident of the town who joined the police force in 1981, rising in the ranks until he was appointed chief in 2011. A graduate of Greenwich High School (as were his children), and a veteran of Operation Desert Shield, he served over 20 years in the U.S. Army Reserve. He has a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice administration from Northeastern University and has completed an online master’s degree in public administration from Bellevue University in Bellevue, Nebraska. In addition, Jim recently completed training in terrorism response at the National FBI Academy.
Jim showed a brief video created in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the department this year. It traced the history of the force, including the program of diversity in hiring minorities and women, which was ahead of its time. Jim then shared some interesting statistics regarding the responsibilities and activities of his department. Their 24/7 operation covers the 283 miles of roads and 24 miles of coastline in town. It includes a four-man team on electric-assist bicycles that can reach 35 mph, who handle emergencies, parking enforcement and traffic safety enhancement. There are also trained EMTs and scuba divers within the department. There are usually 11 police cars on the road with two always on the Post Road. The dispatch center is operated by 16 civilians who handle all kinds of emergency calls (crime, fire, medical, etc.). As an example of unusual deployments, he mentioned that as a result of the Texas school shooting on May 24th, additional patrols around schools have been added due to the fear of copy-cat assaults. The department offers a women’s self-defense class and operates a Citizen Police Academy open to the public. He encouraged people to participate; more information can be found here: https://www.greenwichct.gov/399/Citizens-Police-Academy
They also periodically offer a Youth Citizen’s Police Academy (Police Camp):
Youth Citizens Police Academy (Police Camp) | Greenwich, CT
Jim explained that 152 officer slots are approved for the department. There is one open at the moment. Twenty-one percent of the officers are military veterans. The minimum age for a police officer is 21 but there is no mandatory retirement age. Recruitment is a critical issue, especially because there are now 42 officers eligible for retirement and the town no longer offers a pension, creating a competitive disadvantage with some other departments. There will be 11 openings this summer as a result of retirement. Each recruit must attend the state police academy for eight months, formerly three-and-a-half. The academy only accepts a certain number of trainees and there is often a long wait to enlist new candidates. After graduation, each officer must have three months of on-the-job training in town. Officers receive extensive special training, including on use of force, firearms, OSHA matters, and others. They must maintain firearm proficiency through practice at a pistol range in town. Every three years, each officer must undergo six hours of review training. EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) and EMRs (Emergency Medical Responders) must undergo 20 hours of refresher training every year. Other professional development training includes accident investigation, sex crimes, juvenile issues, detective school, and human trafficking.
The Department continues to upgrade its technology with the latest tools, such as mobile data terminals, updates or replacement of surveillance cameras, body cams, patrol fleet dash cams (mandatory for all police vehicles as of July 1, 2022), and new body armor (replaced every five years).
In 2021, there were 30,488 calls to the Department. They included, among others, 5,204 medically related, 266 involving domestic violence, and 1,735 motor vehicle accidents. Reflecting on the fact that 60 cars have been stolen in Greenwich since January 1 this year, all unlocked with keys inside, Chief Heavey urged everyone always to keep their cars locked and their valuables hidden or taken out. In all of 2021 there were 130 cars stolen. “Lock it or Lose it!”
As a result of the George Floyd case in May 2020, the State of Connecticut has instituted a Police Accountability Rule that requires the following: officers must wear badges and name tags on outer garments, must pass urine drug testing, departments must provide a report on recruiting, retaining, and promoting minority officers, and as a condition of hiring and continued employment, each officer must periodically undergo a “behavioral health assessment.” There already exists a Civilian Review Board in Greenwich, a town legislative body that reviews the activities of the department and handles complaints. The state has also introduced a Police Accountability Rule covering things such as legal limits on an officer request to search vehicle contents when it is stopped for ordinary (traffic related, etc.) reasons; choke holds which are prohibited unless the situation involves deadly force; officers are responsible for intervening with other officers who use excessive force; and no quotas allowed for traffic tickets or other citations involving fines (most such moneys go to the state, not the town). Chief Heavey proudly mentioned that the Greenwich department meets or exceeds all state mandated requirements. As a community-oriented department, it adheres to its core values: service, respect, fairness and diligence. We are fortunate to have such a strong and committed police department serving Greenwich.
For those interested in seeing the full presentation, go to the RMA website or click on the video at https://vimeo.com/714044393.
The RMA’s upcoming presentation “Inflation Changes Everything: Implications for the Economy and Financial Markets” by Larry Kantor is scheduled for 11 AM on Wednesday, June 8. We are now in a very different stage of the business cycle than we were a year ago when massive fiscal and monetary policy support was generating rapid gains in economic activity and asset prices. The largest increases in public spending and money supply the US has ever experienced has resulted in the highest inflation seen in 40 years. Unfortunately, the fading of supply bottlenecks will not be enough to bring inflation down to an acceptable level. It will also require a significant weakening in the economy – enough to increase the unemployment rate. This means that a recession is likely before the end of next year. It also suggests that stock and bond prices probably have not yet bottomed.
Please join us to hear Larry Kantor, who will draw on his many years as a senior leader in the financial industry to tackle the critical economic issues of the day. Larry has appeared on six previous occasions before the RMA and has received widespread praise for his clear, concise, and comprehensible views on national issues from an economist’s perspective. Larry is currently an Operating Partner at Atlas Merchant Capital, a private equity firm. He was a 2016 Advanced Leadership Institute Fellow at Harvard University following his retirement as Managing Director and Global Head of Research at Barclays, where he was responsible for global research, including economics, equities, interest rates, foreign exchange, emerging markets, credit, and commodities. He was also a member of the investment bank Executive Committee and made numerous media appearances, including on CNBC, Bloomberg TV and radio, and The Nightly Business Report. Prior to working at Barclays, Larry held several positions of increasing responsibility in academia, at the Federal Reserve Board, and in the financial industry. Larry received his PhD and MA in Economics from Ohio State University.
To stream Mr. Kantor’s presentation at 11 AM on Wednesday, June 8, click here (https://bit.ly/30IBj21). This presentation will also be available on local public access TV Channels, Verizon FIOS channel 24 and Optimum (Cablevision) channel 79.
RMA speaker presentations are presented as a community service at no cost to in-person or Zoom attendees. The RMA urges all eligible individuals to consider becoming a member of our great organization, and thereby enjoy all the available fellowship, volunteer, and community service opportunities which the RMA offers to its members. For further information, go to www.greenwichrma.org, or contact our membership chairman (mailto:members@greenwichrma.org).
