Bridgeport residents take public safety seriously. Over the last 7 years since Mayor Ganim has been back in office he has not shown that he does.

What he has shown is a complete lack of care and judgement when in 2018 he chose his close friend and political lackey Armando “AJ” Perez to be Bridgeport’s Chief of Police. That decision plunged our police department into chaos when Perez pled guilty to rigging the police chief exam process to install himself in the position.

Rather than choosing the best qualified candidates for leadership positions in his administration – who also reflect Bridgeport’s diverse community – Ganim seems to reduce his decision making to calculating how race-based politics can help him win political favor. In both the 2018 and 2022 national police chief searches his administration lowered the professional qualifications required for the job, specifically not requiring an advanced degree, to ensure Perez and Garcia could qualify. He also appointed both to be Acting Chief’s before embarking on national searches, effectively giving them a leg up on relevant “experience.” And in Garcia’s case she was also appointed to the Assistant Chief position by now disgraced former Chief, Armando Perez. Subsequently a superior court judge ruled that the city’s selection of Garcia in that role violated the civil service rules and the city charter. After that court decision in 2021 Garcia should have been removed from the Assistant Chief position and returned to her previous rank. Instead Ganim promoted her to Acting Chief of Police.

If our city is going to be the best it can be – more just and equitable – we must rid ourselves of the smallness of race-based politics and the illusion of equity by simply placing Black, Hispanic or white bodies in positions to appease the political elite when they’re not qualified. At Bridgeport Generation Now we are committed to the work of anti-racism which means it’s our responsibility to confront the racist thinking that permeates how we politic and how our city government is run. It is also why when vetting who will be the next Chief of Police we look not only at race and gender, but also at the issues we need to solve and the qualifications needed to improve public safety for all Bridgeport residents.

After submitting upwards of 20 questions at the public forums, listening to the responses of the 3 finalists, and polling 17 of our members who attended, Bridgeport Generation Now is confident that former Captain Roderick Porter should be Bridgeport’s next Chief of Police.

Former police Capt. Roderick Porter speaks during a community forum for the three finalists in the search for Police Chief, in Bridgeport, Conn. Oct. 11, 2022. Photo by Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media.

Captain Porter has 36 years of experience, a master’s degree in youth violence (among other advanced degrees and professional training) and has been a Bridgeport resident since 1989. He presented a compelling vision for the Bridgeport Police Department built on transparency and community engagement. He is prepared to lead on addressing public safety through a public health lens, supporting anti-racism training for all officers, transforming the department’s culture, and engaging the community in a meaningful way. He also has the leadership skills necessary to implement community policing, reduce youth gun violence, root out corruption, and instill transparency and trust in the department. 

As we have continued to say since 2018, Bridgeport’s police department is in crisis and the people of Bridgeport deserve a transformative leader with the experience, education and fortitude to seriously address our safety concerns and well-being – specifically our young, Black men.

It’s Mayor Ganim’s choice to make. We urge him to select Roderick Porter to be Bridgeport’s next Chief of Police.