This section contains information on officer demographics and departmental initiatives related to equitable policing practices that was input directly by the department through a survey. Clinton Police Department submitted its responses to the context survey on August 4, 2022.
Clinton, CT 2022
Menu
DEPARTMENTAL CONTEXT
Findings should be interpreted alongside context about the demographics of local residents, the demographics of sworn officers, and the department’s work toward racial equity.
RESIDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
The population of Clinton, Connecticut is 88% White, 9.3% Latinx, 1.1% Multiple Racial Groups, 1% Asian, 0.6% Other, 0.4% Black, and less than 0.05% Native. The total population of Clinton, Connecticut is 12,976.
These city demographics were taken from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2018 five-year estimates. The “Other” category, if applicable, matches the Census Bureau’s definition of “Other” racial group. See the Data Notes tab for information on how CPE defines racial groups.
OFFICER DEMOGRAPHICS
These demographics were provided by the department as of August 4, 2022.
ABOUT THIS ASSESSMENT
Clinton Police Department (CPD) joined CPE’s National Justice Database project in July 2020. CPD shared data with CPE in order to receive analyses intended to support community and law enforcement collaboration on data-informed efforts to enhance equity in public safety. This assessment analyzes vehicle stop data from January 16, 2018 to December 26, 2020 and calls for service and officer activity data from 2018 – 2020.
DEPARTMENT SUMMARY OF ITS KEY INITIATIVES
CPD has recently updated its policies on stops, use of force, racial profiling, and data collection. In addition, CPD has implemented new training programs and programs to reduce use of force or promote equity or community trust.
DEPARTMENT SUMMARY OF ITS RACIAL EQUITY INITIATIVES
On April 01, 2016, Vincent DeMaio was hired as the Chief of Police for the Clinton Police Department. Immediately, Chief DeMaio began initiatives to transform the internal police culture of the department and to improve the professionalism and quality of police services provided to the community. In collaboration with all department members, Chief DeMaio established the Clinton Police Department’s corner stone values of Service, Honor, Integrity, and Professionalism, and he established the department’s cardinal rules of conduct: Treat everyone with professionalism, courtesy, and respect; Always be truthful and sincere; and Always put forth your honest best efforts in the performance of your duties.
In November of 2018, Chief DeMaio modernized the management model for the department. He delineated two functional divisions of the department’s staffing model: Operations and Administrative Services. He promoted two Captains to act as division commanders of each, which would allow for streamlining of service delivery, improved oversight, checks and balances, and professional development of staff. The Clinton Police Department collaborates with local charities, the Clinton Public Schools system and other government agencies to expand the community policing platform and operational capabilities. This has developed strong bonds with the town’s residents through the department’s involvement in a number of outreach programs that are funded with the assistance of local charities and private donations, and are designed to proactively reduce crime, improve public safety, and positively impact quality of life in Clinton and the surrounding communities. Some of these programs are: DARE, Police Youth Group, Child Safety Seats, NARCAN, Rape and Aggression Defense (R.A.D.), Citizens Police Academy, Empower Card, Project Lifesaver, Bike Safety and Exchange Day, Prescription Drug Disposal, and the Clinton Community Assistance Team. In 2018, Chief DeMaio was awarded the “United States Attorney’s Office Community Policing Award” by then United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, John H. Durham, Esq.
In December 2020, the Clinton Police Department entered the self-assessment phase of the Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation through the Commission of Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). CALEA accreditation will provide for improved service delivery, management and oversight, community relations, and critical incident preparedness. In accordance with the CALEA process, the Clinton Police Department has updated its use of force policy to reflect requirements to address de-escalation in the use of force continuum, a duty to intervene, and a duty of all personnel to report excessive use of force. Additionally, the department has updated its policy against bias-based profiling to improve the collection of relevant data, identify supervisor oversight responsibilities, and to require annual training. The department tracks and records all use-of-force by its personnel to include non-compliant handcuffing of persons, detained or arrested in the field. As a result of the department’s commitment to building community trust and embodying the department’s core values and cardinal rules throughout service delivery to the public, it has dramatically reduced use of force incidents. In 2019 and 2020, the Clinton Police Department had no reportable use of force incidents under the state of Connecticut’s stringent statutory use of force reporting requirements.
DEPARTMENT SUMMARY OF ITS COMMUNITY OUTREACH INITIATIVES
The Clinton Police Department (CPD) utilizes a progressive strategy, built on community engagement and service-based programs, designed to educate and prevent people from becoming victims of crime or making poor decisions that could result in behaviors or activities that put them at risk of committing crimes. CPD utilizes several methods to reach out and inform the community of various programs, initiatives, and other notable events. These methods include media releases through social media, traditional print, and broadcast media; in-person presentations to community group; and a monthly radio show and partnerships with numerous charities in the Shoreline community.
In an effort to enhance the Clinton Police Department’s relationship with its community youth, they developed their first Police Youth Group in 2017. The initial intent of the program was to mentor at-risk youth and build relationships through non-traditional activities, such as trips to the amusement park or to a ballgame. The program also imparted a sense of social responsibility onto the participants by having them perform charity work, serve food at the Community Food Panty, host food drives at a local supermarket, and conduct beach clean ups. The group had eight participants. After the first year of the program, it was decided that the department did not want the group to have a stigma or be seen as the cop’s group for “bad” kids, so the program was opened to all students at the high school. The program now enjoys thirty participants a year and has a wait list. CPD also partners with our youth group “REACT,” which is comprised of middle and high school students, for National Drug Take Back Day each May.
CPD also hosts a long-running and highly attended adult Citizen Police Academy. The informative ten-week academy exposes participants to all facets of police department operations, training, administration, as well as its part in the overall criminal justice system, with presentations from prosecutors and judges. Participants who graduate the program often volunteer for our community-oriented service programs after graduation, leaving with an understanding of the strong commitment the department’s personnel feel towards the community they serve.
CPD believes that its mission and the missions of many local charities complement each other, and they form long-standing relationships with charities that help fund many non-traditional, proactive programs. The department hosts regular annual events with community charities and civic groups. Some of these include the “Shoreline Law Enforcement Diaper Drive” in cooperation with Bare Necessities, a local non-profit which acts as a diaper bank for the greater New Haven Area; a “Bike Safety Day and Exchange” in cooperation with Clinton Families, Helping Families; and “The Bike Guy,” in which anyone can come and exchange a bicycle for a properly sized one or they can just take one if they need it. All of the donated bicycles are safety-checked and adjusted to the rider prior to release. The department’s bicycle officers also provide a bicycle safety course to young riders and bike safety equipment is provided free of charge to all participants. The program, now in its third year, has already shown great results in reaching out and building relationships with those in the community facing economic challenges that might not otherwise engage with us.
It is the firm belief of the Clinton Police Department that it will always be more effective by preventing a crime from occurring, compared to any response that it could bring to a reported crime. Through transparency, accountability, and continually building bonds of trust with the community it serves, the department is beginning to foster an environment where all citizens become engaged in the process of public safety.
