(Bridgeport, CT – March 21, 2013) – Two known gang members were charged this week in connection with a 2012 robbery that police preempted.
Frederick Whitaker, 27, of Stratford, and Clarence Hardy, 24, of Bridgeport, were brought from prison to Superior Court where they were arraigned Wednesday on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery. Both had been jailed since their October arrest on related weapons charges.
The arrest was made by the State Police Gang Unit.
According to Bridgeport Sgt. Jason Amato, the unit developed information that two known members of the Bloods gang were planning an armed robbery.
On Oct. 24, Amato learned the pair was driving to Bridgeport to pick up two guns and then planned to travel to Milford to meet a man who wanted to sell them two semi-automatic pistols.
Whitaker and Hardy planned to rob this man of his firearms and money. The pair had gotten their guns and they were en route to Milford to commit the robbery when the gang unit, assisted by Bridgeport patrol officers and K-9 Officer Mark Martocchio, intercepted them at a gas station on Boston Avenue.
“Usually, it is hard to quantify how many crimes are prevented by good police work,” said Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett Jr. “In this case, however, we know that a violent robbery did not happen because of our intervention.”
Police recovered two loaded firearms from the car and charged them with the gun offenses. They were jailed on $100,000 bond. Police this month submitted the warrant for the planned robbery . A judge set bond at $75,000 on the new conspiracy counts.
Tag: Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett Jr
Applications Available for Police Citizens Academy
The application deadline is March 15, and the academy will be held on Thursday evenings from April 4 to June 20.
Participants will have unique access and opportunities to engage and interact with police. The students will have an chance to do a ride-along with a patrol officer, tour the city’s 911 center, see a demonstration by one of the department’s K-9 teams and learn about crime scene processing. They also will gain insight into gangs and learn about the operations about the narcotics and vice unit. “The police department and public need to work together to make Bridgeport the safest city possible. Neither can do it alone,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “This is a real opportunity for people to interact one-on-one with their police officers and learn how they do the job.”
The class size will be limited to 30 students.
Here are some basic requirements:
· Students must be 21 or older.
· They must be a Bridgeport resident, taxpayer or business owner.
· They must be U.S. citizens
Candidates must be of good moral character, in good physical condition and cannot have convictions of a felony or Class A or B misdemeanor.
For more information, please contact Sgt. Meekins at the department’s Community Services Division at 203-576-8278.
The sessions will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the department’s training academy.
Applications will be available on the Police Department website and at the Community Services Division.