Mayor Elicker Announces the Departure of Police Chief Karl Jacobson and the Appointment of Assistant Police Chief David Zannelli as Acting Police Chief

"Dear Neighbors,

I wanted to inform you about some deeply disturbing news regarding the theft and misuse of public funds by our former Police Chief Karl Jacobson, the appointment of our new Acting Police Chief David Zannelli, and what actions we're taking as a city to address this issue and support the important work of the police department moving forward.

As mayor, one of my greatest privileges is working with the dedicated men and women of the New Haven Police Department. They are New Haven's finest. They put in long hours and they put their lives on the line every day to help keep our residents and our neighborhoods safe.

That said, we are also committed to the highest degree of accountability, integrity and transparency in all areas of government - and when an individual engages in inappropriate or illegal activity and breaks the public's trust, we act immediately and accordingly. This is what happened with former Police Chief Karl Jacobson.

WHAT HAPPENED

On Monday, Chief Jacobson admitted to the misuse of public funds and stealing money from a designated city fund that the police department uses to support its confidential informant program. The fund is used to pay individuals who provide the department with confidential information to help solve crimes.

This malfeasance came to light when several officers flagged irregularities with Chief Jacobson's use of the fund to our three Assistant Chiefs David Zannelli, Bertram Ettienne and Manmeet Bhagtana. On Monday morning, our Assistant Chiefs confronted Chief Jacobson about these irregularities, where he admitted to taking funds for personal use. I was subsequently notified of this issue and Chief Jacobson's admission, and informed Chief Jacobson that I was going to put him on administrative leave as we initiated an investigation to the matter. However, just prior to that meeting, Chief Jacobson submitted his paperwork to retire, effective that same day.

On Monday afternoon, we met with the New Haven State's Attorney Jack Doyle to inform him of this incident and share what we knew about the situation. Later in the day I also spoke with Connecticut Chief State's Attorney Patrick Griffin. On Monday evening, I held a press conference to promptly inform our residents and the public.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Chief State's Attorney announced they have launched an official investigation into these allegations, which will be led by New Britain Judicial District State's Attorney who will oversee the Connecticut State Police investigation in order to avoid any potential conflict of interest. This investigation is active and ongoing, but is also in its very early stages and it will likely take some time for the state to complete.

There is a lot we're still learning about this matter and piecing together, including how much money was stolen, how long, and how departmental protocols were not followed. However, at this point, we believe no other individuals were involved in this theft beyond Chief Jacobson.

WHAT'S NEXT

As it was for me, I imagine this is also troubling news for you to hear that our police chief misused public funds and committed acts of theft. We put out trust in law enforcement to uphold the law - not to violate the law themselves.

To say this is a shock is an understatement. It was a shock to me, to the men and women of the police department and to the New Haven community. Chief Jacobson was an individual whom many in our community had worked with and had deep affection and respect for over the course of his tenure at the police department.

At the same time, no one is above the law. We treat everyone the same and that includes the New Haven Chief of Police.

We will follow the facts wherever they lead and, of course, fully cooperate with the State's Attorney and Connecticut State Police in their investigation.

We have also taken several immediate measures to begin to address and correct this matter locally, including: freezing the bank account in question, temporarily pausing the confidential informant program, reviewing the police department's policies and procedures around the program to strengthen its financial practices and oversight, and reviewing other similar types of accounts that Chief Jacobson may have had access to.

NEW ACTING POLICE CHIEF DAVID ZANNELLI

Effectively immediately, I have appointed and sworn-in Assistant Chief David Zannelli as Acting Chief of the New Haven Police Department.

Acting Chief Zannelli has served in the New Haven Police Department since 2008. He joined the force as a police officer and worked his way through the ranks, including posts as Fair Haven District Manager, officer in charge of the Internal Affairs Unit, Assistant Chief of Patrol Operations and most recently Assistant Chief of the Investigative Services Division.

I'm confident in Acting Chief Zannelli's ability to lead the New Haven Police Department with professionalism and integrity, and that he will build on the progress we've made in reducing crime in our city. Chief Zannelli has demonstrated this integrity over many years, including confronting and reporting former Chief Jacobson about these financial irregularities.

Acting Chief Zannelli will serve in this role until I determine next steps regarding a permanent appointment. I'd like to thank Chief Zanelli for stepping up to take on this role.

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

While this is a challenging moment for our city, at the same time, we should also take comfort in how the men and women of the New Haven Police Department responded and acted courageously and with integrity to confront this situation. When our officers and assistant chiefs saw something wrong, they did the right thing, they reported it, and they put their oath and commitment to New Haveners, the department and the city above all else.

Overwhelmingly, New Haven police officers do exactly that every single day: they uphold the law, they protect and serve our city, and they keep us safe.

So, when you see a police officer on the street - continue to thank them for their service and sacrifice - and know you have a police department that is committed to doing their jobs with integrity and in the best interests of our residents and our city."

Always serving you,

Mayor Justin Elicker
City of New Haven