Judge Orders Acting New Haven Police Chief to Step Down

By DAVE COLLINS, Related Press

New Haven’s performing police chief was ordered to resign by a Connecticut choose, who dominated Monday that the chief has held the momentary place longer than the town constitution permits.

Mayor Justin Elicker instantly vowed to enchantment the ruling and mentioned Renee Dominguez would stay as performing chief in the course of the authorized problem and till a everlasting chief is employed.

Dominguez, who has served as performing chief since March 2021, had been on observe to grow to be the primary girl to completely lead the New Haven police division. However in December, the town’s Board of Alders rejected Elicker’s nomination of her after some residents raised considerations about growing violent crime and low range within the division.

In his ruling, Decide Michael Kamp mentioned the town constitution prohibits performing metropolis officers — together with the police chief — from holding the momentary jobs for greater than six months with out their names being submitted to the Board of Alders. Elicker did submit Dominguez’s title to the alders inside six months, however the board rejected the nomination, the choose mentioned.

“The clear import of the town constitution is that an performing police chief can not stay in place indefinitely,” Kamp wrote. “To conclude in any other case would utterly thwart and eradicate the Board of Alders’ recommendation and consent position in approving the mayor’s nominee.”

Elicker and metropolis authorized workers, nonetheless, disagreed with the choose’s interpretation of the constitution. They argued the constitution permits Dominguez to stay in workplace till a everlasting chief is employed.

“We’d like stability now, and I feel that given the unbelievable challenges that our group has confronted over these previous two years — a dramatic uptick in violence like many cities throughout the nation — it isn’t time for some politically motivated stunt present right here,” Elicker mentioned at a Monday afternoon information convention, referring to the courtroom case that led to Kamp’s ruling.

Elicker mentioned the town already is within the means of searching for a everlasting chief.

The authorized problem the led to Kamp’s ruling was filed by two native pastors, the Revs. Boise Kimber and Donarell Elder.

Dominguez has been main the division since final yr’s retirement of Otoniel Reyes.

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