NEW BRITAIN – The chance of being a victim of violent crime in New Britain is one in 128, three times higher than the state average of one in 666, according to data from Neighborhood Scout.
Erin Kulcsar, a recent Central Connecticut State University graduate and a New Britain resident, said she often feels unsafe in the city.
“I think safety has become an issue,” Kulcsar said. “It’s always been an issue in New Britain from what I’ve understood. I’ve lived here for three years now, but I’ve been followed by cars just walking on Stanley Street and walking around my neighborhood. There have been stalking incidents. It’s not the safest especially for women and I live right across from the school, but I still experience stuff like that.”
Kulcsar also said she no longer feels safe walking in her neighborhood.
“I had an incident where a car was following me and then was waiting for me at the other end of a street,” Kulcsar said. “I was being stalked by a car and it’s been a few months since that happened but ever since then, I don’t feel comfortable walking on the streets around my neighborhood anymore. I used to feel fine because it was Stanley Street and there are so many cars. But now, I just don’t feel safe walking.”
Alderman Majority Leader John McNamara, a Democrat, said making sure people feel secure is his number one priority.
“Our job is to help run the city,” McNamara said. “We make sure the public safety of police is fully staffed. We have a policy about that. To combat crime and particularly most crimes aren’t against people, that comes first, that’s what I try to focus on in terms of helping us all deal with crime.
Council Minority Leader Robert Smedley, a Republican, and Sharon Beloin-Saavedra, a Democrat endorsed by the Republicans, said the city has enough officers.
“In the police contract, there is a minimum staffing requirement of 165 sworn officers,” Beloin-Saavedra and Smedley said. “Our department, based on this requirement, is fully staffed.”
Beloin-Saavedra provided data points regarding the different numbers of crimes and their occurrence.
Data from 2023 showed the largest number of 911 calls were for domestic violence at 991 calls. The second highest was assault with 627 calls. Theft from a motor vehicle and burglaries were a distant third and fourth with 354 and 115 calls respectively, Beloin-Saavedra said.
Alderman Nathan Simpson, a Democrat, said the Common Council has little control over policing in the city.
“In terms of crime in New Britain, a lot of people feel like the immediate response to crime is law enforcement,” Simpson said. “In terms of the Common Council’s rule of enforcement, we essentially have none.”
Howard Dyson, a member of the Board of Police Commissioners, said abuse and money concern him.
“Back when I first got on the commission, there was still a lot of street crime, gang-related street crime and that was a big concern,” Dyson said. “Businesses were very concerned and that was kinda cleared up. Crimes changed until COVID hit and then COVID all of a sudden, we have a lot of domestic disturbances, which for me always a big concern.”
Dyson also said some crimes in the city are not committed by New Britain residents.
“Many of the crimes are committed by someone that does not even live in New Britain,” Dyson said. “You look at it and you say, ‘Well another New Britain resident’ well no, they were from maybe Farmington or Hartford, so it’s not all New Britain people.”
Dyson said if the economy improves, certain crimes may decrease.
“It kind of changes with the crimes,” Dyson said. “The crimes change with the times. If you look at the numbers, you’re never going to have a year where you have zero arrests. It’s just not going to happen. But it does change. So, during COVID, you have domestics. Before, you had gang-related crimes. Now you have a lot more petty theft crime. And hard to know next year, the economy gets better, people aren’t willing to steal as much. It’s hard to predict and that’s why we have law enforcement, which is terrific.”
