NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Just before the new year, four people were killed in the month of December in New Haven. In the first week of January, three more people were shot and killed.
"These are brazen, dangerous acts and my message is, don't commit them. Because, we're coming after you," said Chief Karl Jacobson with the New Haven Police Department.
Though there have been more homicides in comparison to this time last year, the number of shootings is down. Last year at this time, there were eight shootings...none of them were deadly. This year, there's been fewer, a total of four shootings. The difference is, three of them turned deadly.
"We do see these incidents where we will have a spike in violence because of some really unfortunate incidents. A lot of times, it's a very small group of people. And the police department works to take some of those people off the street while at the same time, we're providing more resources to people," said New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker.
On New Year's Day, 23-year-old Dontae Myers was killed on Grand Ave. Three days later, 30-year-old Kentel Robinson was shot on Chapel St. He died a few days later. On Jan. 6, 41-year-old Charles Miller was shot and killed on Pond Lilly Ave.
Jacobson said in at least two cases, drugs were likely a factor. All of them seem at this point to be targeted. Many of the suspects they typically see are repeat offenders.
"What we need to figure out is how, I don't want everybody kept in jail and I get it, we don't want to incarcerate more people in our society. But we know who's potentially going to pick up that gun," Jacobson said.
Since they know that, the city is working hard to catch up with those people before they become violent, through several community programs.
"What we're finding that's consistent is that there's personal conflict that's just being settled with guns," said Leonard Jahad, the Executive Director of the Connecticut Violence Intervention Program (CTVIP).
Jahad deals with young people that are considered to be the most at-risk in the community. Many of them have a record or have shot someone in the past. And when it comes to turning their lives around, Jahad said it's all about connecting with them.
"Relationship building capacities. That's it. There's no magic to it. It's just a lot of work. And you know, you're just consistent," Jahad said.
In contrast to the shootings that have taken place so far this year, police have also made several arrests.
In a press conference on Thursday, they detailed their efforts and recent statistics.
So far this year, New Haven Police have seized nine crime guns off the streets, one of them being a ghost gun. They have also made ten firearm-related arrests. This time last year, they seized two crime-related guns and made one firearm-related arrest.
"I'm very proud of this police dept. Yes, we had a spike in violence, but we know what to do and we're moving forward," Chief Jacobson said.
The department is also working with new technology. Right now, they have nearly two dozen working cameras placed throughout the city. They also have ten license plate readers, which are only used when necessary.
Directly after the uptick in violence, police called on the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) for help. On Jan.10, the task force arrested Derrick Brock, a well-known gang member to police, for allegedly being in possession of 148 grams of fentanyl. Police said Brock tried to drive away, crashing into a DEA car. DEA agents were treated for minor injuries and are doing okay.
Jacobson said these efforts send a strong message to his community.
"If you are out dealing drugs in a violent area, we are coming after you," Jacobson said.
Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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