Bridgeport Police Department
The Bridgeport Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency in Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is responsible for most law enforcement within the geographical boundaries of City of Bridgeport, with the exception of:
- City parks, which are handled by the Bridgeport Park Police
- Most judicial warrants and judicial process, which are handled by the Fairfield County State Marshal
- Highway patrol, which is handled by the Connecticut State Police
| Bridgeport Police Department | |
|---|---|
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| Abbreviation | BPD |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1837 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States |
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| Map of Bridgeport Police Department's jurisdiction. | |
| Size | 19.4 square miles (50 km2) |
| Population | 137,912[1] |
| General nature |
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| Headquarters | Bridgeport, Connecticut |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | |
| Bridgeport Police | |
Bridgeport was the first city in New England to deploy radio patrol police cars, in September 1933.[2]
Park law enforcement
The Bridgeport Park Police Department is a separate department devoted to law enforcement in Bridgeport's parks.
Officer salary
In 2012, the maximum annual salary for police officers was $168,374.
Crime
The department operates within Connecticut's most populous city. Bridgeport has the 56th largest metro area in the United States.
Major standoffs
July 2008 standoff
This was a seven-hour standoff situation off Capital Avenue with a mentally unstable man who was heavily armed and believed he was a Soviet spy. The man barricaded himself in his home with his family, including his wife and several children. The standoff lasted for several hours and was a top story in Connecticut.
January 2008 standoff
In January 2008 a 30-minute standoff occurred. Several buildings and streets were evacuated to make way for police. After 30 minutes the police arrested the man for breach of peace.
June 2007 standoff
A two-day-long standoff resulted in Andy Garcia being arrested. The situation apparently started when police received a shots-fired call in the middle of the day. Someone reported the suspect's name and licence plate number to police, which led them to a house on Seaview Avenue. When they arrived, a man opened fire. Police evacuated the neighborhood, blocked off the street and put the house under surveillance.[3]
March 2005 standoff
In March 2005, a man was arrested after shooting at and having a standoff with Bridgeport police officers. Police responded to a dispute call with guns involved on Black Rock Avenue. According to police the suspect had two shotguns and a rifle in the apartment, and was firing at Bridgeport police while having a dispute with a woman.
Leadership
The current chief is Armando Perez.[4]
Controversies
In April 1972, community members in Bridgeport sued members of BPD, along with other city officials, over a charge of police brutality during police action spurred by a rent strike in May 1971.[5]
In 2018, BPD Capt. Mark Straubel the top aid to Chief Perez retired after a series of racist text messages he sent came to light.[6] In the text messages Straubel states that he has a deep hatred of African Americans and that he hopes for a race war.[7] Straubel’s racist conduct included asking a black subordinate if the movie Planet of the Apes made them homesick. Straubel had been a member of the Bridgeport Police Department for more than twenty years and was promoted to captain in 2016.[8] The Department chose to end their investigation into Straubel’s conduct when he retired.[9]
Popular culture
In the 2008 film Pistol Whipped, Steven Seagal plays a former cop from the Bridgeport Police Department.
References
- "Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Connecticut" (CSV). 2006 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. 2006. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-09-16. Retrieved 2010-08-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- A picture of this standoff
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-09-15. Retrieved 2010-08-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Times, Jonathan Kandell Special No The New York (1972-04-07). "Bridgeport Suit Alleges Police Brutality". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
- Rojas, Roberto. "Bridgeport Police Officer Accuses Ex-Captain Of Racism". wshu.org. WSHU. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- Lockheart, Brian. "Blackwell promoted as part of settlement". ctpost.com. CT Post. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- and Brian Lockhart, Daniel Tepfer. "PD Captain accused of racist texts leaves under fire". ctpost.com. CT Post. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- and Tara O’Neill, Brian Lockhart. "Black Bridgeport PD captain files human rights suit over racist rant". apnews.com. The Associated Press. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
