New Haven’s police chief has stepped down amid reports of theft and misuse of funds.
On Monday, former police chief Karl Jacobson admitted to stealing money from a fund that is used to pay people who provide confidential information to help solve crimes. He filed the paperwork to retire, effective immediately, shortly after.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker (D) said the news was deeply troubling.
“To say that this news is a shock is an understatement,” Elicker said. “It's a shock to me. It's a shock to the command staff. It's a shock to the men and women of the police department. It's a shock to the New Haven community. It's a betrayal of public trust. No one is above the law.”
It’s not yet clear how much money he stole or the timeline of the alleged crime. Elicker said they were being careful about what information to share to avoid hindering the investigation.
Assistant Chief David Zannelli has been appointed acting chief. Zannelli, along with two other assistant chiefs, had confronted Jacobson about the alleged fraud on Monday morning.
“This has been an incredibly challenging day for us,” Zannelli said. “We acted immediately, and rest assured that the process does work when police officers see something here that they think is inappropriate, they act immediately, and that's what happened here.”
Investigations into the situation are ongoing. It has not yet been decided if it will be led by the state police or the state’s attorney.
Elicker said the issue was not indicative of a culture of corruption at the city’s police department.
“It's deeply troubling news to hear the police chief misused public funds and committed acts of theft,” Elicker said. “We put our trust in law enforcement to uphold the law, not to violate the law themselves. Overwhelmingly, New Haven police officers do exactly that every day they uphold the law. They protect and serve our city and they keep us safe.”
