Bridgeport News: Structure Fire

2024-06-14@8:00pm–#Bridgeport CT–Firefighters were dispatched to a structure fire at 80 Lindley Street from a lightning strike. First unit confirmed fire coming from the roof area. The fire was quickly extinguished by on-scene units. The Red Cross will provide shelter for 6 adults, 2 children, and 2 pets. The fire is being investigated by the Fire Marshal’s Office. No injuries occurred and all parties were out of the location when fire units arrived.

GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCES APPLICATION PERIOD NOW OPEN FOR FIRST ROUND OF CONNECTICUT’S STATE AND LOCAL CYBERSECURITY GRANT PROGRAM

Applications for This First Round Must Be Submitted to the State by July 19, 2024

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS), in consultation with the Connecticut Cybersecurity Planning Subcommittee, is now accepting applications for the first round of funding authorized under Connecticut’s State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program.

This newly established program was created as a result of funding Connecticut received through the recently enacted federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). The state-administered program is providing grants to eligible entities to address cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity threats to information systems that are owned or operated by, or on behalf of, state, local, and tribal governments. Eligible entities as defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the program requirements include:

  • A county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments, regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government;
  • An Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization; and
  • A rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity.

“Cybersecurity threats are very real and can impact any type of entity, whether you’re a private organization or a public office,” Governor Lamont said. “I strongly encourage municipal officials across Connecticut to evaluate their cybersecurity needs, and if a potential weakness is identified they should submit a grant application to the state so that we can get these funds to them and they can be put to productive use.”

The program is managed and administered by DEMHS, with partnership and consultation from the Connecticut Cybersecurity Planning Subcommittee, which consists of relevant stakeholders in the cybersecurity discipline, including the state chief information officer, the state chief information security officer, representatives from municipalities and the Regional Emergency Planning Team, institutions of public education, public health representation, and representatives of rural, suburban, and high-population jurisdictions.

“Connecticut has been at the forefront of prioritizing a whole community approach to cybersecurity,” Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) Deputy Commissioner Brenda Bergeron, who oversees DEMHS, said. “Now with this grant program, eligible sub-applicants can make cybersecurity investments to build the appropriate protections commensurate with the risks. DEMHS looks forward to supporting the state’s efforts to further enhance our cybersecurity.”

DESPP Deputy Commissioner Bergeron serves as co-chair of the State Cybersecurity Working Group with Mark Raymond, deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS) and the state’s chief information officer.

“This grant program strengthens the great working relationship we have between the state and municipalities in the area of cybersecurity,” DAS Deputy Commissioner Raymond said. “The threats from cyber attackers continue to grow regardless of the size of your government. These funds provide a great boost to respond to this threat.”

This program has a sliding cost-share match requirement that changes with each fiscal year. For the fiscal year 2022 funding, the federal share of any activity cannot exceed 90%. Connecticut has been allocated $2,680,589 in federal funds to allocate to eligible sub-entities and sub-applications.

For application information and a full overview of the program, visit portal.ct.gov/demhs/grants/state-and-local-cybersecurity-grant-program. Questions about the grant program can be directed to DEMHS.SLCGP@ct.gov.

Applications for this first round of funding must be submitted to DEMHS by 5:00 p.m. on July 19, 2024.

Mayor Ganim Announces A Reorganization Affecting the Economic Development, Planning, Community Development, and Small & Minority Business Offices

Bridgeport, CT— Continuing in his efforts to reorganize city government to facilitate more efficient interactions among City departments and to provide better quality services to the public, Mayor Ganim announced the following changes to the Economic Development, Planning, Community Development, and Small & Minority Business Offices, effective immediately.

  • Cathy Fletcher has been appointed to the position of Planning Director for the City of Bridgeport.

A Bridgeport resident, Fletcher received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Engineering from Lehigh University and her Master’s Degree in City Planning from Boston University.  Prior to entering the field of community development and planning, Fletcher worked in the private sector as an Environmental Engineer with the Ramboll Corporation, a multinational development consulting firm. Fletcher joined the City of Bridgeport in the spring of 2022 and has served as the senior city planner for most of the past year during which time she has expanded the department’s community engagement efforts and has secured significant federal and state grant funding to advance the development of the waterfront, of a safer street network, and a more climate resilient city.  

  • Jonathan Delgado has been appointed to the position of Deputy Director of Economic Development.

Delgado has served as Senior Economic Development Associate within the department for the past two years.  He has led the City’s public art program, its downtown place-making initiatives, and its collaborative work with the Connecticut Main Street Center to advance the City’s neighborhood commercial districts.  He has been instrumental in working across departments to secure much needed grant funding for the redevelopment of brownfields within the city.  A Bridgeport native, Delgado received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Connecticut and his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Fairfield University, where he also previously served as the Assistant Director for Community-Engaged Research at the University’s Center for Social Impact.

  • Office of Property Management

With support from the City Council, the Ganim Administration has created a central office for Property Management, which will be staffed by Joseph Formato and report directly to the Chief Administrative Office. Formato served in various roles in operations, corporate finance, analytics, and project management for 30 years at People’s United Bank. Formato also comes to city government with 20 years of experience in real estate and property management.

  • Reassignment of OPED Roles Responsibilities

The Office of Planning and Economic Development will be undergoing a reassignment and reallocation of responsibilities and projects. A notable example is that Max Perez will take on the important role of liaison to residents, contractors, and developers as they navigate the permitting process, while transitioning many of his existing city property duties to the Office of Property Management.

  • Small & Minority Business Enterprise Office

The Office of Small & Minority Business Enterprise will be physically relocated next to the Office of Planning and Economic Development in order to build a stronger working relationship and collaboration among those offices for the benefit of the business community.

  • Community Development Office

In an effort to strengthen and prioritize community development within the City, the Community Development Block Grant Office will be physically relocated to its own space at the Margaret Morton Government Center, and a new position of Manager of Community Development will be created.

  • Vacant Positions

Several budgeted positions, including Senior Economic Development Associate and Planner II positions, will be publicly posted in order to ensure the Planning and Economic Development Offices are fully staffed.

The Stratford Police Department’s Narcotics and Vice Unit assisted by the Bridgeport Police Task Force, the DEA Task Force and the Statewide narcotics Task Force conducted a narcotics investigation targeting Dennis Lewis during the months of May and June 2024.

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On June 13, 2024, search warrants were executed on Dennis Lewis’ person, his vehicle and his residence at 46 Kingsbury Road, Bridgeport.
The execution of these search warrants resulted in the arrests of Dennis Lewis and his roommate Nyasha Jermaine. 

Both Dennis Lewis and Nyasha Jermaine are convicted felons.
Dennis Lewis is charged with Illegal Operation of a Drug Factory and 2 counts of Illegal Sales of a Narcotic Substance. He is being held in lieu of a $500,000.00 bond.
Nyasha Jermaine is charged with Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Illegal Transfer of a Firearm, Illegal Possession of a High-Capacity Magazine, Carrying a Pistol Without a Permit, Illegal Operation of a Drug factory and 2 counts of Illegal Sales of a Narcotic Substance. He is being held in lieu of a $750,000.00 bond.

TRUMBULL POLICE WELCOMES TWO NEW OFFICERS

MAY 13, 2024

The Trumbull Police Department is proud to announce the recent graduation of two (2) new officers that successfully completed the required training leading to their graduation from the Milford Police Academy. The ceremony for Officer Julian Arboleda and Officer Anthony Ormond, recruit class #31, took place on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at the Thomas Parsons Government Center Veterans Memorial Auditorium, in Milford, Connecticut.

After successfully completing over six (6) months of training at the Milford Police Academy, Trumbull police recruits Arboleda and Ormond will continue their training in the Field Training phase, where they will ride with training officers who will instruct them on department policies, rules, and procedures, while exposing them to actual policing by responding to calls for service. They are required to complete a minimum of 400 hours of Field Training to complete their certifications before they can work on their own.

These two new recruits are joining a department that is continuously working to bring the agency up to full staffing levels. Trumbull is currently looking for additional qualified police officer applicants to fill several vacancies and bring the staff to its maximum level. The Town of Trumbull accepts applications for police officers at PoliceApp.com, and further information is also available on the Town’s website.

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