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. Newington Police Department submitted its responses to the context survey on February 8, 2022.
Newington, CT 2022
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 Newington, Connecticut is 77% White, 9.5% Latinx, 5.6% Asian, 5.2% Black, 2.4% Multiple Racial Groups, 0.3% Other, and 0.2% Native. The total population of Newington, Connecticut is 30,323.
ABOUT THIS ASSESSMENT
Newington Police Department (NPD) joined CPE’s National Justice Database project in October 2017. NPD 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 use of force data from 2013 -2019, vehicle stop data from 2017 – 2019, and calls for service and officer-initiated activity data from 2017-2019.
DEPARTMENT SUMMARY OF ITS KEY INITIATIVES
NPD has recently updated its policies on stops, use of force, and data collection. In addition, NPD has implemented new training programs, programs to elicit community input on department policies/practices, and programs to reduce use of force or promote equity or community trust.
DEPARTMENT SUMMARY OF ITS RACIAL EQUITY INITIATIVES
On January 1, 2022, the Newington Police Department adopted a new state mandated Use of Force policy that prohibits intentional use of chokeholds or neck restraints, requires officers to intervene when witnessing excessive force, and requires officers to employ de-escalation and mitigation techniques to the greatest extent practicable before using force. Prior to implementing the policy, all department officers were trained on the new standards. The new policy also requires the department to provide data on all use of force incidents to the Connecticut Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division.
In 2022, the police department and the Police Community Council began working together to bring police officers and members of the minority community in Newington together to discuss race relations. The discussions will be guided by a person experienced in leading focus groups. The event is planned for the spring of 2022.
In 2021, the department began supplementing officer in-service training using an on-line training platform. The platform is easily accessible and the training modules can be completed by the officers at work, home or from handheld devices. Officers have received additional training in Constitutional Law, Liability Issues in Use of Force, Procedural Justice, Applications of the Fourth Amendment in Search and Seizure, Anti-Bias Training for Law Enforcement, Civil Rights, Community Policing, de-escalation techniques, and Human Trafficking.
In January 2021, the Newington Police Department began collecting data on the race and ethnicity of drivers involved in traffic accidents in the town of Newington. The data will be used to develop an applicable benchmark for determining the estimated population of individuals that drive on town roadways. The data can then be compared to the data that is collected on traffic stops to determine racial disparities.
In 2020, the department adopted a new performance appraisal system that focuses on community policing and interpersonal skills. New performance standards for community policing include the values of maintaining public trust, cultural competency, and diversity. Performance standards for interpersonal skills require officers to communicate in an unbiased and professional manner, and use their verbal skills to de-escalate situations and prevent the need for use of force.
In 2018, the department adopted a policy that established guidelines for the appropriate treatment of transgender individuals. The policy focuses on the importance of respectful interactions and the preferable manners of addressing transgender individuals. The policy also provides guidelines for conducting searches, booking offenders, and detention.
DEPARTMENT SUMMARY OF ITS COMMUNITY OUTREACH INITIATIVES
In an effort to reach local residents in Newington, the Newington Police Department communicates with the local community through Facebook and Twitter. The department has over 12,000 Facebook followers and 2,500 Twitter followers. The department believes Facebook and Twitter have proven to be a great way to connect with the community on matters of public concern.
The department also connects with the community through the Police Community Council. The Council holds public meetings via Zoom and provides opportunities for the public to speak and ask questions during the meetings. The meetings are also live streamed on YouTube. The meetings provide the public with information on up to date crime statistics, department staffing and activities, and department policies and procedures. The meeting agendas and minutes are filed in the Newington Town Clerk’s Office and are on the town’s website for review.
