Reaction to Firing of Hartford Police Department Employee Stephen Barone

HARTFORD — The following is a reaction from ACLU of Connecticut executive director David McGuire to the Hartford Police Department’s decision to fire Stephen Barone, a police department manager who was promoted after being disciplined in an excessive use of force case and who later appeared on video threatening a group of youth:

“The Hartford Police Department’s decision to fire Stephen Barone is the direct result of Hartford residents demanding accountability from their police department and Rashawn Johnson’s bravery in speaking out about Barone’s threats. It is good news that Barone is no longer employed by Hartford, but the department never should have promoted him in the first place. Hartford’s overall lack of police accountability guarantees a bad system, not just bad apples. As long as Hartford’s mayor’s office and some city council members continue to bargain away Hartford’s ability to create true police accountability, the kind of unacceptable behavior displayed by Stephen Barone will be a feature of Hartford’s police department, not a bug.”