Our Article on Hold-Down Policing at New Haven Clubs

We have recently written an article on content distribution service EzineArticles that briefly explains the practice of “hold-down” policing in New Haven, its cancellation in 2010 and attempts to revive the program.

The practice originally involved a policing arrangement between the city and resident businesses (notably night-life establishments, though rental companies that own property in unsafe neighborhoods also use it), where a police officer would get assigned an extra-duty shift at that establishment, and their pay would be furnished by the business owner rather than the city.

This had a number of advantages – police officers with arrest power could be present at night clubs during the most chaotic times of the week, at no cost to the taxpayer. However, the program was cancelled by an incoming police chief over concerns that the arrangement could lead to undue ties between the officer on duty and the establishment he or she protects. The direct pay arrangement was seen as providing an opportunity for shady practices or favoritism on part of the police officer.

Nonetheless, a couple of years later, the practice is seeing a revival. Given continuing drunken turmoil in the club district, owners of night life establishments are clamoring for the arrangement to be brought back; the city is trying to come up with ways to do this while also addressing the incentive issues that led to the program’s cancellation in the first place.

The city recently launched a test program to see whether a rotating assignment would solve the problem while continuing to guarantee security at bars, clubs and other establishments. It’s hard to tell what the program will look like in the end, but it’s a welcome experiment in public-private partnerships.