Steve Hamm Photos
District Manager Lt. David Zannelli on the walk.
In 2011, Daniel Hunt’s cousin, Fair Havener Marquell Banks, was just 13 years old when he was shot in the head with a shotgun inside a home. His was the 26th homicide out of 34 in the city that year.
Seven years later, Hunt was out on Fair Haven’s street with a crowd of cops seeking to prevent more tragedies like the one that his family experienced.
Hunt, now a student support employee in the New Haven Public Schools, was shattered by his cousin’s death and vowed to help quell gun violence in the city. About a year ago, he suggested to then-Acting Police Chief Anthony Campbell that police and others conduct occasional “community walks” through the city’s neighborhoods to promote peace and understanding.
Thus began a series of neighborhood walks involving cops and community liaisons like Hunt.
Daniel Hunt.
“I do these community walks to help build the relationship between the youth in the city and police. It helps bridge the gaps,” Hunt said.
On Friday, it was Fair Haven’s turn. The walk was led by Lt. David Zannelli, the district manager in Fair Haven. It included other district managers, school administrators, politicians and community members.
They walked from the police substation on Blatchley Avenue to Grand Avenue, zigged to Poplar Street and then marched down Clay back to the substation. Along the way, they spoke to kids, shopkeepers, and people on the sidewalks and stoops.
“The purpose of these community walks is to show everybody that we’re all together on the same team — from the principals, the alders, other district managers from other parts of the city, the chiefs,” said Zannelli. “We’re all in for the same objective, which is to make Fair Haven as safe as possible.”
While crime is down significantly in Fair Haven, as it is for the city as a whole, the neighborhood still has crime and quality-of-life problems. Homeless people and others loiter on streetcorners, creating a nuisance for shopkeepers and families. Also, there’s a brisk drug trade.
During the community walk, police officers approached habitual loiterers and people involved with drugs — telling them about the concerns of their neighbors and urging them to help improve the community.
“We don’t confront them, but we make our point,” Zannelli said.
At the end of the walk, Zannelli and several other police officers entered Lou’s Lodge, which is across the street from the substation. The place was crowded, and they were met with a mix of friendly greetings and hostile comments.
“We have our fair share of problems here. People sometimes drink to excess, and they become disorderly. It’s also known for drug sales,” said the lieutenant. “Even though the substation is directly across the street, we still have those problems.”
On the way out the door of the bar, he suggested that I walk out ahead of him — since he was wearing the bullet proof vest. It was a parting joke on an afternoon that encouraged goodwill, fun and comity.
At the end, Daniel Hunt was satisfied that the walk had accomplished his goals. Plus, he hitched a ride home from an assistant police chief and got to take the leftover donuts.