Hamden Mayor, Chief Rebut Charge of Racist Treatment At Dog Pound

HAMDEN, CT - In the wake of allegations of racist treatment at the dog pound by an African-American member of Hamden’s Town Council, the mayor and acting police chief have issued a response.

Justin Farmer made the allegation in an opinion piece he wrote for the New Haven Independent about an incident he was involved in last December.

Here is the joint statement from Hamden Mayor Curt Leng and Acting Police Chief John Cappiello about the incident and Farmer’s allegations:

Acting Chief Cappiello and I both empathize with Councilor Farmer for the incident he experienced on December 15th. As Mayor and Acting Police Chief of Hamden, we work to ensure that all members of our community are safe and that Hamden is an inclusive town for all people.

In recognition of past occurrences involving visitors and animals, we acknowledge that existing protocols concerning direct contact during the visitation of quarantined animals have not always been properly enforced. These occurrences create safety issues for individuals involved, and liability risks for the Town. Interaction with quarantined animals at the Shelter is expressly forbidden, and any such occurrence of cage entry or interaction prior to Councilor Farmer’s visit was improper.

On Dec. 15th, the Animal Control Officer (ACO) on duty requested the presence of an officer to ensure that animal contact protocol was properly followed. This decision was prompted by a recent incident concerning an individual who entered the cage.

We have been in regular contact with Councilor Farmer from the moment this incident began. A meeting occurred two days later with Acting Chief Cappiello and the Councilor concerning the incident. We have discussed and corresponded with Councilor Farmer regarding this topic for a number of weeks, including improvements made to the operations at the Shelter. As a result of the Animal Control Officers now wear body cameras when interacting with visitors. The existing visitation policy is under review by the Police Department, and identified improvements will be implemented.

Implications that the Town, the Office of the Mayor, or Hamden Police have not taken Councilor Farmer’s inquiries and complaints seriously is simply not accurate. Implications that police were called as a method of intimidation, on the basis of race/ethnicity is not consistent with the history of the Shelter. Visitors of all races and ethnicities regularly visit the facility.

Throughout our mutual careers in public service, we have dedicated ourselves as advocates for all members of our community and hold equality as a core value. There is no question that racial injustice exists. Acting Chief Cappiello and I remain actively committed to doing everything within our power to ensure equitable treatment of all members of the community.

Justin Farmer's Op-Ed in New Haven Independent can be read here.