Hartford Police Chief Defends Krayeske Arrest
by Christine Stuart | January 23, 2007 7:01 PM
Posted to Courts
File photo of RobertsHartford Police Chief Daryl Roberts defended the department’s decision to arrest a reporter and political activist who was taking pictures of Gov. M. Jodi Rell as she marched in the inaugural parade. Roberts repeatedly said Ken Krayeske’s “actions dictated the circumstances of his arrest.” During the arrest on charges of breach of peace and interfering with an officer, Krayeske was “uncooperative” and “evasive,” Roberts said. Why was he held on a $75,000 bond? State Rep. Stephen Dargan, D-West Haven, asked.
Roberts said the reason his bond was set at that price “was based on his actions and the totality of the circumstances.” He said Krayeske approached the governor in an aggressive manner then he “would not disclose his intentions.” Click here to see first story about the arrest that includes the police report. Krayeske was there to take pictures of Rell for his Internet blog: http://www.the40yearplan.com. State Rep. Christopher Caruso, D-Bridgeport, asked if Krayeske had a camera with him? “He may have had a camera in his bag,” Roberts said. 
Rep. Chris CarusoMany other people along the parade route may have taken pictures of the governor too, but they weren’t arrested, Caruso reasoned. Roberts said that’s because “they did not breach the parade route.” Of course, that’s untrue according to Hartford Courant reporter Mark Pazniokas, who walked the parade route with Rell, saw a woman leave the sidewalk and quickly walk toward Rell during the inaugural parade. “The woman shook Rell’s hand and melted into the crowd,” he wrote. What made Krayeske stand out? Possibly the two-page print out distributed to police that described Krayeske as a “possible threat” to the governor. Public Safety Commissioner Leonard Boyle said before any event like the inaugural parade the state police intelligence unit will review criminal intelligence in consultation with the Connecticut Intelligence Center to determine if there’s anyone poses a threat to those involved in the event or anyone who may be “disruptive to the event itself.” 
Commissioner Leonard BoyleState Rep. Jim Shapiro, D-Stamford, said the code of federal regulations says the police can only share intelligence if it pertains to criminal conduct or activity. What criminal conduct did Krayeske engage in prior to his recent arrest? He was arrested for civil disobedience which is a criminal offense, Boyle said. Krayeske’s name did not come from the Connecticut Intelligence Center, a collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement that’s run by the F.B.I. The state police detective in charge of gathering intelligence found two blog entries by Krayeske that encouraged people to protest the inaugural ball the Friday before the parade, Boyle said. When Krayeske’s name was run through the state police database they found a previous arrest for civil disobedience, a class C misdemeanor. But red flags didn’t go off until the state police briefing was given to the governor’s security detail at noon the day of the parade. It was when someone on Rell’s security team recognized Krayeske, who had previously heckled Rell during the campaign to get her to include the Green Party candidate in the televised debates, that his name raised eyebrows. Boyle said Krayeske’s photo “caused a bit of alarm,” amongst a member of Rell’s security detail. Caruso said he thinks the police “overreacted” and “now they’re digging their heels in.” There was nothing in Krayeske’s criminal background that would lead police to respond the way they did, Caruso said. He said the whole thing was prompted by the two-page flyer listing Krayeske’s political protests and affiliations. Boyle said the state police flyer did not instruct the Hartford police to “arrest. detain, or frisk” Krayeske. He said it simply told them to “call the command post if this person shows up.” At least two members of the Public Safety Committee disagreed. They applauded police for their efforts. “One never knows if someone is going to cause bodily harm to an individual until after the fact,” state Rep. Ruth Fahrbach, R-Windsor, said. Roberts said the arrest is an example of how well law enforcement works when they share intelligence.
Comments (8)
Posted by: itoldyouso | January 23, 2007 9:01 PM
Thanks, Daryl. Now Ken can add your slander to the false arrest charge when he sues HPD. You just added about $50,000 or so to his civil suit. Keep up the good work!
Kudos to Chris Caruso for telling it like it is. I wish Boyle had replied. There's a back story to his resignation that the public will never learn. What's Queen Jodi's response to Boyle's public pronouncement? Anyone going to ask her? Anyone?? Press corps??? Just checking.
Finally, did anyone at today's hearing ask "What conversations did you have with the governor's office about Ken Krayeske, and what did they say?" Seems like a reasonable question, considering the cast of characters involved and their past practices.
Posted by: CtSpook | January 24, 2007 2:01 PM
Look its like this... What is the proper professional decorum for journalists at events like this? Did any other journalist approach the Gov. like this? Did Mr. Krayeske ever get right up in the Gov.'s face once before?
How about historical anecdotes: Did Hinckley have press credentials when he shot Reagan? Did fake journalists successfully kill a Afghan politico a couple of years ago? Under the guise of a 1-on-1 interview?
Everyone who knows Krayeske knows he is a self-admitted hot-head. What if he decided that day he was going to do something even worse than the earlier uncomfortable face-to-face encounter. What if that somehow caused Gov. Rell to counter-react and she got injured or worse? What would her security team be legally allowed to tactically react to him then?
"State Rep. Jim Shapiro, D-Stamford, said the code of federal regulations says the police can only share intelligence if it pertains to criminal conduct or activity. What criminal conduct did Krayeske engage in prior to his recent arrest? He was arrested for civil disobedience which is a criminal offense, Boyle said."
This is totally wrong! First of all it also pertains to POTENTIAL criminal conduct based on the POI's (person of interest) documented prior conduct - which in this case is huge. This federal regulation Rep. Shapiro is IMO misquoting does NOT IMO apply to Connecticut. Why? Because this state's town's are NOT separate and distinct municipal entities like other US towns and are all under the TOTAL aegis of the governor. Some are incorporated but that does not change the state government hierarchy unique to Connecticut.
This means that the several CT police departments are all subservient to the governor ergo the Connecticut State Police. This means that the CSP intelligence division can share whatever data they share amongst themselves to the local CT police departments. And vice versa. However, this federal reg. would apply to CSP sharing with other state's municipal police departments.
However, under the new Department of Homeland Security many of those rules are now obsolete as this whole scenario and POI can now be categorized as such due to his strange behavior towards a US dignitary (i.e. Gov. Rell).
IMHO every Hartford and CSP police officer/detective involved here did his/her job professionally and within the law. Mr. Krayeske needs to change his very aggressive and unprofessional tactics before he becomes the POI of much higher powers who might totally misunderstand his true intentions and get him a free all expense paid trip to a very tropical place 90 miles off Florida... (just kidding... :-> )
Posted by: Micky | January 24, 2007 4:01 PM
This is nucking futs!
Just last March, I was hammered out of me mind at the Saint Patrick's Day Parade. After the Hartford High School Band went by I saw a slew of no good "narrow back" politicians "breaching the Parade route"! They were supposedly marching, but in my drunking stupor I thought they was "breaching."
So as the wretched fools walked by, I ran to the nearest Officer of the Law.
I repeatedly told this officer that these fools are Breaching the Parade Route! They ought to be arrested right now.
And do you know what that officer said to me? I will remember these words for as long as I live, [God Willing]. He said, "Look pal, I am here because I gotta be here. You are here because you wanna get drunk. These people are here because they want all you drunks to vote for them. Now how would it look if I arrested all these politicians for "Breaching the Parade Route?"
I got to go. The Nutshell just opened for supper. "Saints be to God!"
Posted by: itoldyouso | January 24, 2007 6:01 PM
Wow, CtSpook. Phrases like "POI" and "tactically" and references to Afghanistan really make me want to get out my secret decoder ring and join your club!
You need to put down that Dick Marcinko novel you've been reading and adress REALITY.
Ken Krayeske's only crime was to criticize the governor. That is now an arrestable offense in CT.
BTW, your joking reference to GTMO shows just how unhinged you are. How'd you find this site? Job search?? Made any "lists" lately ??
Posted by: Steven G. Erickson | January 25, 2007 3:01 AM
Cops are allegedly paid for taking down "marks" on the Connecticut State Police Officers' "Enemies List" by getting checks for overtime not worked. Homeland Security funds for police are not audited, and if there is road construction, an officer can get that pay while at the casino.
Money to be paid to informants or "overages" collected during drug raids can be used to gamble with. Collecting the winnings after a shift has ended helps to hide the paper trail.
The fixing of a "marks" court case can be over a high stakes poker game at the court house on a Monday of Friday. Judges and Prosecutors really only work Tuesday through Thursday. A lawyer can purposely lose a couple of hands and the judges and/or prosecutor is paid off. Betting while playing golf and intentionally losing is another.
Making a "chump" bet on a sporting event is another way payoffs and bribes occur to get police, prosecutors, and judges to act in collusion to ruin people.
Ken's case may break the whole sleazy official mess wide open and maybe past victims of the Connecticut State Police "Hit List" will maybe get just a little justice.
Posted by: Cody | January 25, 2007 9:01 AM
Wow CTSpooks seems to point out we already live in a police state and should surrender our civil liberties before we're arrested. That's scary.
Ya know I actually feel bad for Hartford PD. I heard there was an argument over who would make the arrest HPD or state police.
CTSpooks attack of Rep. Shapiro's comments are unfounded since he ends up making Shapiro's argument.
"However, this federal reg. would apply to CSP sharing with other state's municipal police departments," CTspooks writes. This proves Rep. Shapiro's point since it was Hartford that made the arrest not the state police. CSP should never have shared the information with HPD unless they were willing to make the arrest.
This is why I feel bad for Hartford and Chief Roberts.
Posted by: Franklin Benjamin | January 25, 2007 10:01 AM
The Republican (and Lieberman) powers have milked 9/11/01 long enough as a tactic to destroy our constitutional rights. Its time to fight back, and to take back our rights.
and State Rep. Ruth Fahrbach, R-Windsor is an advocate of "preventive detention?" Who is going to fund these concentration camps?
Posted by: redeye | February 2, 2007 9:02 AM
Fact: The officers who arrested Krayeske had no idea he was a journalist, so the freedom of speech violation everyone's hung up on is moot.
Fact: Ken had a very close encounter with the Gov. in the recent past, one that she admitted left her shaken.
Fact: Had Ken ran up to the Gov., stumbled and knocked her upside the head with his camera, everyone would be outraged and screaming "Where's the protection for our elected officials?"
Instead of going after HPD and the Chief, folks should be wondering if and why their on "The List", and I don't mean Heroes.