East Haven has instituted wide-ranging reforms. Half the police force was replaced.
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch was in Connecticut on Tuesday as part of a national community policing tour.
Mistrust between communities and law enforcement has been a focus of national attention. Lynch has called that mistrust "the issue of our times."
Lynch met with law enforcement, residents, and students in East Haven to talk about changes there since the 2012 arrests of four police officers, accused of violating the civil rights of Hispanics. She praised changes in East Haven, and said for police-community relations to work, everyone has to accept responsibility.
“You can start off with a lot of finger-pointing and blaming, but after we’ve all talked at each other, people have to sit down and talk to each other,” said Lynch. “And when that happens -- when that occurs, that’s when we see progress.”
In 2013, each of East Haven's arrested police officers received a prison term -- ranging from several months to five years. The town also settled a federal civil rights lawsuit for $450,000.
The town has instituted wide-ranging reforms. Half the police force was replaced. There are regular community meetings, and police are required to wear body cameras.
East Haven is starting to be seen as a model for change.
Lynch said law enforcement here could have just checked the boxes. “But if the people who really felt victimized don’t see a difference, then we would not view it as a success, and we very much heard that from them today,” she said.
Segundo Aguayza was one of the plaintiffs in the federal court case who met privately with Lynch. He said that he and his family endured repeated harassment by East Haven police, and talking about it was not easy. But now he agrees there’s been a big improvement.
“There was total different attitude right now, that’s a big difference, a big change,” said Aguayza. “It was worth it what I did, not just for me, for my kids. And somebody says ‘the system won’t work,’ now I believe the system works.”
East Haven was the third stop on the Attorney General’s six-city tour. Each city was chosen because of challenging relationships between police and the community.
Lynch’s next stop is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
