NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The New Haven Board of Alders voted Monday night against confirming the city's acting Police Chief Renee Dominguez as the department's next permanent Chief, in part because of lack of diversity in the upper ranks.
However, Dominguez actually still has a shot to become the first permanent female chief of a large city in Connecticut.
The Board of Alders complimented Dominguez as a person and a cop, but said she’s not given them a concrete plan to move the department forward.
"What was clear from last night is that the alders expressed an openness to not just shut this down," Mayor Justin Elicker, who nominated her for the job last month, said.
On Monday, the alders were actually only voting on naming her permanent chief for the next two months, until her predecessor's term expires January 31.
"I’m ready to work with them to get exactly what it is that I can present in a way that the board as a whole can be confident I am the right selection for the job," Dominguez said.
Under the city's charter, the mayor now has the right to resubmit her name for appointment and he will. Then, the BOA will vote on her nomination to be permanent chief for four years beginning February 1.
"I personally have had conversations with many of the Alders and I know that other members of our team have and I know that many of the alders are very supportive of the chief," Elicker said.
Among their concerns: no diversity, other than the female chief and female captain, among the department's leadership for the first time in 28 years. But, Dominguez and Elicker say they are making progress in that regard.
"Not only because it’s the right thing to do to have a police department that reflects the city but also it helps us do our job better," Elicker added. "It helps us communicate better with the community. It helps us bring a different perspective to the table."
Dominguez said step one of her diversity plan is already in motion with the brand new academy class that was sworn in last week. She says this class is more diverse than any other in recent years.
"We are about 65% non-white in the academy currently and 88% in our satellite academies," she said.
FOX61 reached out to six alders for further comment on the vote. Two were unavailable and four did not respond to our request.
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