MERIDEN, Conn. — The FBI already works in Hartford and New Haven to curb gang and gun violence. Now, they’re moving into Meriden and Waterbury. Meriden Police Chief Roberto Rosado says there has been a significant increase in violent crime and gang activity in Meriden. He says thanks to local state and federal partnerships, Meriden police seized 13 firearms and arrested 20 people in the last three months.
Just 15 miles away, Waterbury Police Chief Fred Spagnolo says because of their collaborations with the FBI, they've made significant arrests.
“There are times like this when violence takes a sharp spike and increases, which we need to have a more public effort and show the population that we are all collaborative,” says Dave Sundberg, the Special Agent in charge of the FBI in Connecticut. “We are all working together to reduce that violence and that is when you publicly see the FBI.”
The FBI is increasing availability to technologies, databases, and other resources that will help local police officials track criminal actors. They say their resources combined with local police knowledge of their communities is a tried and true model to help drive down violent crime.
Police are investigating a shooting that happened late Tuesday morning at the Meriden Mall on Lewis Avenue.
Officers learned a car had been driving through the parking lot, being chased by another one. A person in the chasing car was said to have begun firing multiple shots at the other car. It is unclear if any of the shots hit the other car.
Police are investigating a shooting on Sunday that sent a man to the hospital.
Police said they were called to investigate a report of a shooting at Ceppa Field around 6pm. A short time later a man with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the arm arrived at MidState Medical Center.