Month: October 2020

Bridgeport News: Homicide #19

Police UPDATE:

On October 2, 2020 at 2003 hours, shots were fired inside 375 Pequonnock Street. This is the location of Quick Stop Barber Shop. A gunman entered the barbershop and fired at workers and patrons inside. A 39-year-old male employee was shot once in the arm and neck and fled from the establishment. Responding officers found this victim down the street and applied a tourniquet to his wound to stop severe bleeding. This victim was transported by medics to St. Vincent’s Medical Center where he was treated for a serious injury to his arm. This victim is expected to survive. A second male victim identified as Jamain Allen, 40, was found in the lot next to the barbershop. Allen was shot multiple times in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. 
Detectives are processing a crime scene at 375 Pequonnock Street and the public should expect road closures in the area for several hours as evidence is collected. Anyone with information about this crime should call Detective Cintron at 203-581-5227, or citizens can also call the Bridgeport Police Tips Line at 203-576-TIPS. All information will remain confidential.

2020-10-02@8:07pm–#Bridgeport CT– Two people were shot in the 300 block of Pequonnick Street. One man was struck in the arm and transported to the hospital. The second victim died of his injures in an empty lot next to the barbershop.

Stratford News: Stolen Car Arrests

#Stratford CT–On the morning of 9/30/20 a burglary was reported at a local car dealership on Barnum Avenue.


After making entry to the building the suspects acquired car keys and stole eight cars from the
lot. With the assistance of Bridgeport Police, Stratford Detectives were able to take two suspects
into custody later that day. The suspects were in possession of all the stolen keys and all eight
stolen cars were recovered in Bridgeport, Stratford and Hamden.

Aaron Brown 1/14/01 of Brooklyn NY and Victor Bourne 10/10/98 of Bridgeport were both charged with burglary third degree and larceny first degree and initially held on $25,000.00 bond. They were then released from custody on a promise to appear by the State Bail Commissioner. A court date of
10/30/2020 was assigned.

SENATOR APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF TAKE BACK OUR GRID ACT

State Senator Marilyn Moore (D-Bridgeport) is applauding the passage of the “Take Back Our Grid Act” following a lengthy discussion on the Senate floor today. Senate Democrats voted to pass the “Take Back Our Grid Act,” vital legislation seeking to change how Connecticut’s utilities are run. Most importantly, LCO 4202, “An Act Concerning Emergency Response by Electric Distribution Companies and Revising The Regulation of Other Public Utilities,” seeks to hold utility companies accountable for their actions and practices, additionally adding further oversight and restitution for customers who suffer extended power outages. 

“Utility companies such as United Illuminating and Eversource should be held accountable for how they respond to severe power outages across the state,” said Sen. Moore. “It’s a shame that we did not learn from past storms that we would not be prepared to handle Storm Isaias that knocked out power to thousands of residents across the state. The providers should have been prepared and because they were not, we knew that something had to be done. This legislation will help make sure nobody is left in the dark for days on end without some sort of compensation or responsibility held.”

The legislation as currently drafted would significantly change Connecticut utilities in many ways, with focal points including:

  • By June 2022, the Public Utilities Regulation Authority, or PURA, would be required to create performance-based regulation of electric, gas and water distribution companies, establishing standards and metrics to measure performance in objectives including safety, reliability, equity, customer satisfaction, mutual engagement, resilience against rapid changes in conditions and environmental goals. Those metrics would then be applied to existing regulation guidelines, aligning utility performance to match them.
  • PURA is given more time and authority, allowed to evaluate a company’s performance during rate amendment proposals and able to determine whether a company’s rate of return is reasonable compared to the new rate proposed; its deadlines are extended in rate cases by 200 days for electric distribution companies and 50 days in other cases; and it will have to consider performance-based incentives and penalties when reviewing and investigating EDCs and rate hearings for PURA-regulated utility companies.

     
  • PURA can require that rate recovery for executive or officer compensation, as well as incentive compensation for employees, be dependent on performance.
  • PURA would be allowed to implement interim rate decreases if a company sees excessive return, as well as low-income rates and economic development rates.

     
  • Starting in 2021, entities could not become holding companies of PURA-regulated utilities unless the holding company’s board of directors has the same population percentage as the holding company’s total service area in Connecticut. PURA also gains an additional 30 days to hold a hearing on mergers or other changes, while the deadline for approving or disapproving a merger/change of control is extended by 80 days.

     
  • The cap on civil penalties levied by PURA for failing to comply with performance standards in emergency preparation rises from 2.5 percent to 4 percent of annual distribution revenue, and penalties will continue to be assessed as ratepayer credits set at $10,000 per violation.

     
  • Starting July 2021, if PURA determines an EDC failed to perform according to the PURA standards:
    • EDCs will be required to give customers $25 account credits each day they experience a power outage of more than 96 hours after an emergency, with EDCs not allowed to recover costs for those credits outside of petitioning for a waiver.

       
    • EDCs would be required to compensate residential customers $250 for any medication and food expiring or spoiling due to a power outage lasting more than 96 hours after an emergency.

       
  • After EDCs submit information about their last five major storm responses, including data about their crew workers and damage and outage estimates compared to storm response, PURA would issue minimum staffing level standards for outage planning and restoration personnel directly responsible for post-storm recovery. EDCs would face civil fines if found to break these rules.

     
  • PURA would be authorized to assess fines for noncompliance with laws, regulations and orders, with a portion of those fines going to energy assistance program nonprofits

     
  • DEEP would be required to evaluate current regional energy market (ISO New England) use and recommend alternatives achieving public policy goals by adopting clean and renewable energy

     
  • DEEP would also have to expand its microgrid grant and loan pilot program for resilience projects, prioritizing projects benefiting vulnerable communities.

This press release is made possible by:

Visit BMW of Bridgeport at: https://www.bmwofbridgeport.com/

2020 U DRIVE. U TEXT. U PAY. CAMPAIGN

Fairfield, CT — Over the past decade, distracted driving has become one of the leading causes of vehicle crashes on our nation’s roads. Fairfield Police are encouraging drivers to put down the phone and remember: U Drive. U Text. U Pay. Fairfield Police will partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from October 8-12, 2020, for the national U Drive. U Text. U Pay. high-visibility enforcement effort. The goal of the campaign is to step up enforcement efforts to catch distracted, texting drivers and enforce distracted-driving laws. According to NHTSA, between 2012 and 2018, nearly 23,000 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver. In fact, there were 2,841 people killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2018.

While this represents a 12-percent decrease in distracted driving fatalities from 2017, there is clearly more work to be done. There are still thousands of preventable deaths happening on our roads every year. Violating Connecticut’s distracted-driving laws can be costly. The fine for the first offense is $150.00. The fine for the second offense is $300.00. The fine for the third and subsequent offenses is $500.00. Many drivers are guilty of a “double standard” when it comes to distracted driving. In its 2018 Traffic Safety Culture Index, the AAA Foundation reported that while nearly 96 percent of drivers believed it was very or extremely dangerous to read a text or email while driving, 4 out of 10 drivers admitted to doing so within the previous 30 days.

Drive Safe Every Trip Fairfield Police and NHTSA urge you to put your phone down when you get behind the wheel. If you need to text, then pull over and do not drive while doing so. If you’re driving, follow these steps for a safe driving experience:  If you are expecting a text message or need to send one, pull over and park your car in a safe location. Once you are safely off the road and parked, it is safe to text.

 Designate your passenger as your “designated texter.” Allow them access to your phone to respond to calls or messages.

 Do not engage in social media scrolling or messaging while driving.

 Cell phone use is habit-forming. Struggling to not text and drive? Activate your phone’s “Do Not Disturb” feature, or put your phone in the trunk, glove box, or back seat of your vehicle until you arrive at your destination.

Texting while driving is dangerous and illegal. Break the cycle. Remember: U Drive. U Text. U Pay.

This press release is made possible by:

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