Pubdate: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 Source: Hartford Courant (CT) Copyright: 2002 The Hartford Courant Contact: http://www.ctnow.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/183 STATE POLICE HELP IS WELCOME HARTFORD -- A community activist, the Rev. Cornell Lewis, probably speaks for most of Hartford in expressing gratitude for the state's offer of police assistance to combat crime - specifically, to disrupt the drug trade. Starting this week, state police will assign at least five patrol officers, two sergeants and five or more plainclothes detectives to help boost police visibility and take part in narcotics investigations. The anti-drug officers come under the auspices of the state police Reclaim Our Cities and Connecticut Youth program, which uses state and federal money to help eliminate persistent crime problems in targeted neighborhoods. State Public Safety Commissioner Arthur Spada suggested in July that the ROCCY program might work well in the North End. The neighborhoods surrounding Park Street should be on the list, too. "Considering the manpower shortage faced by the city police department, the assistance from state police is welcome indeed," said Mr. Lewis. Indeed it is welcome. Although the city may have experienced a recent calm spell with regard to crime, only the starry-eyed would consider the problem of guns and drugs permanently solved. The more help the better. Hartford could well use a reputation of being a safe, secure city. Because of budget constraints, the local police department won't be getting back up to full strength any time soon. Only the unions are squawking. The city police union president points to a contract giveaway that says a city officer must be assigned on overtime for every state trooper who works in the city. The state union chief allowed as how he would "hate to see anything being done to undermine the contract in Hartford." What's their main priority, stacking up overtime or beating crime? Mayor Eddie Perez notes that the provision will not apply to undercover state police assistance. Good. The costly overtime provision should be knocked out of the contract when it is renegotiated. - --- MAP posted-by: Alex