A Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday found that 66% of Hamden residents say a Hamden officer who opened fire on a New Haven couple last month was unjustified in doing so.
William Dunlap, a criminal law professor at Quinnipiac University, says the poll shows residents overall have a favorable attitude towards local police.
“They regard this incident as sort of an aberration, a one-off, and aren’t going to reduce, at least severely reduce, their impressions of the police department overall,” though he says residents recommend officers wear automatic body cameras and receive more training.
The poll found that 67% of whites think Hamden police do a good job, while just 50% of black residents do. More than 85% of all residents say they want police to build relationships with communities of color.
The University conducted the poll at the request of Hamden’s mayor, Curt Leng.
“He wanted to get an idea of the attitude, the sentiment, in the city before they take whatever steps they’re planning to take to rectify this or prevent any further repetition,” said Dunlap.
Hamden’s city council voted on Tuesday not to open an independent investigation into the shooting.