Allan Appel Photo
Saying they want to duplicate what he has accomplished in Fair Haven, police officials announced that Lt. Luiz Casanova will be leaving as the area’s district manager to assume a citywide post, likely a night shift commander.
The news came Wednesday evening at the Clinton Avenue School, where 20 residents from around the Dover Street area gathered to express continuing concern about speeding and a spike in drug dealing along their wide thoroughfare.
“What he stands for, we want for the rest of the city,” said Chief Frank Limon, who, along with new Assistant Chief Tobin Hensgen accompanied Casanova to the gathering.
Casanova said the move downtown will entail no promotion in rank for himself. A new district manager for Fair Haven, likely a sergeant, will be formally announced Thursday night at the regular meeting of the management team.
That meeting is scheduled for 6 at the Blatchley Avenue substation.
Casanova has been a district manager for seven a half years, the last five and a half in Fair Haven. (Click here, here, and here, for previous stories about him.
Wednesday’s gathering had been called to review a range of resident complaints aired at the June 3 management team meeting about red-light running especially on Dover, where Marcia and Carlos Reyes (pictured) have lived for 25 years.
“It’s turned into a speedway,” Marcia Reyes said. She said she’s especially concerned about the danger to the many out-of-school kids who now use the broad tree-lined streets.
As the well-liked Casanova fielded such questions and concerns with candor and statistics, it became apparent why Chief Limon wanted to clone him for the city.
Casanova reported that in the month since the June management team meeting, police have made 70 to 80 arrests made in the Dover/Atwater area, plus increased quality of life enforcement.
“I can’t make things perfect. I can make them better,” he said.
A longtime neighbor complained of a spike in drug dealing at a particular house on Dover, where the problem had been relatively eliminated during Lt. Casanova’s tenure. Casanova said that very morning, after some undercover buys, police made several arrests.
“That makes us feel good,” said the nieghbor who preferred not to be identified.
When Marcia Reyes asked why surveillance cameras to catch speeders could not be put on the corner of Dover and Rowe and other locations, Casanova said, “I wish it were that easy.”
He patiently explained state legislation, which the city has lobbied for, is needed.
“What if a resident put up our own surveillance camera? Could our police use information from a private camera?”
“Sure, we can assess that at the time.”
When neighbors last month called in the description of cars that were doing burn-outs and doughnuts in the neighborhood, Casanova sent a team door to door, yard to yard. They finally ID-ed the souped-up vehicles. He didn’t make an arrest but had what he described as a “healthy conversation” with the owners.
The citizen descriptions of the racing vehicles were an essential part of the success.
“Our job is not just to respond. We’re not just about doing enforcement but educating people to be good neighbors,” he said.
Casanova (pictured with Sgt. Max Joyner) then enumerated some concrete results: An 89 percent reduction in homicides in Fair Haven compared to last year, and 81 percent decline in shots fired. He described the latter decrease as “unheard of in our profession.”
“Fair Haven was a mecca for auto theft. Now we’re down 63 percent,” Casanova added.
It wasn’t exactly a statistical swan song. Nor did the appreciative residents have a shortage of ongoing complaints. Fair Haven Alderman Joey Rodriguez, who had convened the meeting, elicited a commitment from the police to send the ATV enforcement unit to the area, along with more drug enforcement and better communication.
“We need you to tell us what’s going on so we don’t get discouraged,” Rodriguez said.
The officials nodded.
How close are they to designating someone to fill Casanova’s big shoes? Limon said brass was still evaluating and looking for someone with Casanova-esque leadership skills.
“It’s [referring to the district manager in Fair Haven] a key position. Lt. Casanova has done a great job.”
Asked which specific initiatives from Fair Haven would be applied citywide, Limon said, “Let me describe Lt. Casanova. He’s a problem solver. He knows how to work with people. He has great communication skills.”
“Wherever I am, Fair Haven will be close to my heart. Fair Haven’s my baby,” said Casanova.