Elm City Swears In New Police Chief
Chief Says He Plans To Work With Community

POSTED: 5:07 pm EDT July 14, 2008 UPDATED: 7:07 pm EDT July 14, 2008

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- New Haven's new chief of police was sworn into office on Monday.

After taking a 57-word oath and having his new badge pinned on, Jim Lewis said he promises to work with the community and come down hard on criminals.

New Haven Mayor John DeStefano brought Lewis to the city because he has a reputation for being able to lead and make changes.

"Simply put, Chief Lewis' job is to work with the sworn and civilian members of this department and with the community of New Haven to make the New Haven Police Department a professionally competent and premier problem-solving public safety agency," DeStefano said.

Lewis takes over the department which is still reeling after the arrests of two city detectives.

Lewis said he plans to re-establish the currently defunct narcotics squad and said that he looks forward to the challenge of reforming the department.

"I need to keep talking to the public about the 99.9 percent of the cops who are hard-working, family-oriented, dedicated to the community who don't get the attention," he said.

Several high-profile shootings over the past month have led critics to say that crime in the city is out of control and several residents have established controversial neighborhood patrols.

"I would prefer they use their time working with youth, coaching basketball, teaching baseball, whatever it might be instead of walking neighborhoods. I would prefer we didn't need them, but if they feel it's needed, as long as it's legal and ethical, we will work with them," Lewis said.

Lewis said the first order of business is to fill some of the other top posts at the department. He said that a search is currently under way and that he will look both inside and outside New Haven for candidates.

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