UPDATE: Bedford Town Council Delays Independent Review of Police Response Time

Update (Dec. 19, 2:51 p.m.): The scheduled meeting to discuss police response time has been cancelled by the Bedford Town Council.

Chairman Bill Dermody said councilors are likely to still discuss the issues and possible resolutions noted below, but most likely will do so at a regular scheduled meeting. The next scheduled meeting is Jan. 9. That night, the Council has also scheduled a public hearing on the Bedford Muncipal Operating Budget and also on a possible increase to cemetery fees.

Original story (posted Dec. 19, 2:00 p.m.): The Bedford Town Council has scheduled a meeting to address the police response time during last month's reported home invasion at 7 Proclamation Court.

Council chairman Bill Dermody said the independent review – which is tentatively scheduled for Thursday night at 7 p.m. at the BCTV Bedford Town Meeting – is in direct response to overwhelming residential concern generated following Bedford Police Chief John Bryfonski's description of the timeline the night of the incident.

Bryfonski, attempting to calm safety and security concerns at a community meeting earlier this month, told attendees that it took two minutes for the first officer to arrive at the scene of the crime, but more than 30 minutes to enter the house and attend to the critically injured home owner.

Many residents expressed discontent over that time lapse, but Bryfonski explained that, for the protection of those still inside the home and for his officer,s the scene needed to be fully secured before police entered the household.

"The whole thing stems from the around 30 minutes it took the police to get inside the house, and we have information that says it may have been a good deal longer than 30 minutes," said Dermody. "The council has heard a lot of complaints and concerns about why it took so long, and while we have no involvement in the investigation of what transpired inside that house ... the Council's immediate interest is that a lot of residents are understandably concerned and are now realizing that responses in situations like this could possibly take longer than what they see on television, when cops pull up to the house and blast right in."

Dermody said he and fellow councilors have been inundated with emails and calls and have been approached in person by many concerned residents since the community safety meeting.

"Right now, we don't have any answers to provide them, in terms of why it took as long as it did to get into the home, so we just want to begin to get some answers, and this may lead back into the budget," he said. "I think a logical follow-up question needs to be: 'If it did take 30 minutes or longer, what can we do to improve on that time?'"

The Council has scheduled two public hearings – on Jan. 9 and Jan. 23 – to review the proposed municipal operating budget, and while another full-time officer and part-time police administrative assistant have both been added to next year's budget, Dermody said he's anticipating that some residents may ask for additional police staff and resources.

He also acknowledged that councilors may have to wait for a full follow-up review of the evening in question before they make any major decisions, but added that the purpose of this initial meeting is to get the conversation started.

Right now, Dermody said the discussion will be limited to the Council. Town Manager Jessie Levine is on vacation and Bryfonski's presence, he added, is not currently required.

In terms of the police department's procedures, Dermody said he has full confidence in Bryfonski, the progress the department has made under his command and the direction it is headed into the future.

He also noted he is cognisant of Bedford's stellar public safety record and realizes that the likelihood of a similar event may be slim.

"I try to make the analogy that this is the 100-year flood," he said, "and with that in mind, are we going to sandbag our houses in anticipation of somethings that's not going to happen again for another 100 years? What's the likelihood this will happen again in the next 15-20 years, and if it's not likely, the question becomes 'how much money do we want to spend in response to something we may not see again for some time, if ever?'"

Last week's tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School has only added to residential concern, he said.

SAU 25 Superintendent Timothy Mayes noted his district has extensive protocols in place to identify threats and mitigate attempts to harm Bedford students and teachers, and Bryfonski said his department is reviewing its current patrol posture and will make appropriate adjustments to protect Bedford students.

Still, Dermody said the incident has only increased the unease of Bedford residents.

"It's sort of been the perfect storm in terms of a feeling of security around here," said Dermody. "This very tragic event down in Connecticut has really magnified a lot of concerns people have."

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