Lisa Gray photo
Terrence Roundtree, Talmadge Vick, Jabare Roach, Nathan-Craig Machado, and Felder Jean Baptiste take the oath at City Hall.
Five new police recruits were sworn in at City Hall — marking perhaps the first ever group of all Black male recruits to head to the training academy.
Mayor Justin Elicker swore in those recruits last Tuesday in the Aldermanic Chamber on the second floor of 165 Church St.
Sgt. Paul Finch, the supervisor in charge of recruitment for the New Haven Police Department, said that the fact that all five of these new police recruits are Black was not intentional, but is unique and important.
The group of five — including Terrence Roundtree, Talmadge Vick, Jabare Roach, Nathan-Craig Machado, and Felder Jean Baptiste — were a part of a larger group of 40 who passed the written and oral exams with a score of 70 or better. Not all of those who were eligible and received a conditional acceptance offer from the NHPD moved forward with the process.
City Police Chief Karl Jacobson began Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony by welcoming the recruits and commending them on their efforts so far: “We’re very glad to have you here. You come from a varied and diverse backgrounds, and we’re just very excited about this opportunity for you.” He described how New Haven is different from other departments in that its model is based on community policing, “making sure that we’re in tune with the community and moving forward with the community.”
Jacobson imparted a special message to the families in the audience. He talked about the support that these young men will need, not just as they navigate the training academy in Meriden, but once they finish and move into field training in New Haven, and eventually become full-time officers. He shared with them how important it is for them to support and hold the young men because it will not be an easy road.
Before Mayor Elicker conducted the swearing in, he congratulated the group on making it into the academy and on their work thus far. “We talk a lot about community policing, but can’t be as effective at policing the community if the police department doesn’t look like the community,” he said. That is one of the reasons his office and the department have been working very hard to “not only recruit more individuals that reflect the diversity of our community, but more individuals that live in New Haven to be part of a police department.” He went on to say, “Today is one example of the results of that work. We have a lot more work to do.”
Sgt. Finch also talked about the fact that these recruits are mostly from the New Haven area and what that means for community policing. “Why not work where you live? There are benefits to that for officers and for the community.” He noted that when officers come from the community they have common ground with the community. It helps to build trust and critical relationships and presents the potential for a greater ability to deescalate tense situations based on that common ground.
One of the recruits, Talmadge Vick, who grew up in Westville, attended high school at Hopkins and has worked in a variety of capacities and roles around town. He said, “I applied to help people. I applied as someone who’s been involved in community work here in New Haven, I have mentored, I’ve worked in nonprofits, and I see this as another avenue by which I can support my community.” He also said that, “I want to be the person in the situation where if someone needs help, I’m there to support them.”
When asked what it means to him to be a Black man in this position, he said, “It means representation. It means hopefully being in a position where I can create internal change one day. I see that they’re making positive change, and I think I can further that positive change in and for my community.”