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Residents press New Britain officials on police accountability and access to records
Summary
Public commenters at the council meeting described alleged civil-rights incidents, requested independent oversight of police internal investigations, and said they were denied access to records needed to pursue civil claims; councilors acknowledged the concerns and promised follow-up.
Jonathan Figureroa, who identified himself as a YouTube activist and a New Britain resident, told the council he had witnessed interactions he believes show police treating constitutionally protected activities as suspicious and urged ongoing civil-rights training and consideration of independent or external oversight of internal affairs investigations.
"Independent or external oversight options should be considered to strengthen transparency and trust," Figureroa said, adding he had provided video evidence regarding an alleged illegal distribution of marijuana at a local smoke shop and that he had not been contacted about his witness statement in a library arrest involving a man named Jose Cruz.
Kelly (of 29 Cedar Street) described a separate, violent assault she said left her with a traumatic brain injury and said she has repeatedly been denied access to police investigation documents that she needs to pursue a civil-rights action. "The refusal to release these public document records raise concern that potential internal consideration may exist that have shield my investigation," she said.
Council reaction and next steps: Figureroa acknowledged Mayor Sanchez's prior references to a "blue-ribbon task force" and asked that the task force address these concerns. Officials did not announce any immediate changes to oversight practices at the meeting; one councilor said staff would follow up and another said the city would consider external review options. No specific timeline or external panel membership was provided.
Why it matters: Commenters framed the issues as matters of public trust and civil rights, citing video evidence and eyewitness accounts. Requests for independent review and better records access implicate police transparency and the city's investigative practices; councilors indicated willingness to follow up but did not adopt policy changes during this session.
