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Body cam video shows reasons Connecticut needs stronger laws: New Haven police chief

2022 homicides in the Elm City are less than half of last year’s numbers.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — New Haven police Wednesday announced a decrease in gun deaths, while Waterbury’s police chief warned of an uptick in homicides the day before. But the chiefs in both major cities are now calling on lawmakers to focus on guns and crime when they head into session in January—saying the issue of illegal guns and repeat violent offenders plague both communities.

“We still have a large number of shootings,” said New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson. “We still have a lot of work to do.”

New Haven’s homicide rate is less than half of what it was this time last year. There have been 10 homicides so far in 2022, compared to 26 fatal shootings at this same time last year. Elm City officers have taken 234 guns off the streets this year, including 45 illegally printed ghost guns. 

“We’re getting, I believe, the violent people off the street and that makes a huge difference when you eliminate a large number of guns and take the right people off the streets,” Jacobson said. 

FOX61 obtained newly released body camera footage of a Sunday traffic stop in which New Haven police had a short run-in with Joseph Newton, a man who fired shots at officers years prior. Police said Newton was armed when they took him into custody.

Both Jacobson and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said they want stronger laws to keep people like Newton off the streets.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said he wants lawmakers to strengthen gun laws enacted in the wake of the 2012 tragedy at Sandy Hook School.

“New Haven is not an island and a lot of the guns that we see come from other states,” Elicker said. “They come from gun shows in Pennsylvania, they come from down south where there’s more laxed gun laws. But we’re going to do our part here to make sure that Connecticut is not a source for guns.” 

It’s important to keep in mind that one year’s statistics don’t necessarily mean there’s a trend, according to Andrew Clark, director of UConn’s Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy.

It’s a good sign police chiefs are working together, Clark said. He says countries that come up with strong solutions for safety do it collaboratively with the community. 

“They put their heads together on how do we achieve the best safety and they use evidence and the best resource they have there’s usually a positive result in that,” said Clark.

Samaia Hernandez is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at shernandez@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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