Danbury City Council Public Hearing on Police Department Ordinances - August 17, 2026
Danbury City Council Public Hearing on Police Department Ordinances - August 17, 2026
On August 17, 2026, the Danbury City Council held a public hearing at 7:03 PM (local time) in the council chambers to receive public comment on proposed amendments to Sections 22-19 through 22-30 of the city ordinances concerning the Danbury Police Department. The hearing was called to order with the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call, with 16 council members present and 5 absent. The sole agenda item was the proposed ordinance changes.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Tom Brown (10 Valverie Lane, Danbury) offered two comments: first, a process-related suggestion that the city provide the public with a comparison of old and new ordinances or an executive summary when publicizing amendments. On substance, he expressed indifference to gender-neutral language changes but voiced strong support for the proposed change to citizenship requirements, noting that if a qualified candidate meets all other requirements, they should be eligible to serve, comparing it to eligibility for the U.S. Marine Corps.
- Jason Over (1 Kennedy Avenue, Danbury) expressed full support for the proposed changes that would allow lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients to apply to become police officers. He emphasized that standards would not be lowered—applicants would still meet rigorous qualifications, training, and background checks. He shared a personal story about his sister, who became a U.S. citizen and served as a police officer for 10 years, recently earning a promotion to detective. He argued that many qualified individuals live, work, and contribute to Danbury and should not be closed off from serving.
Key Outcomes
- The public hearing was closed by a voice vote (all in favor).
- No council discussion or vote on the ordinance amendments themselves occurred during the hearing.
- The meeting adjourned immediately after closure of the public hearing.
Note: The agenda stated the meeting began at 7 PM, but the transcript indicates the hearing was called to order at approximately 7:03 PM. The meeting date is given as 2026-08-17 12:45:00+00:00 (UTC), which corresponds to 8:45 AM EDT; however, the transcript states the hearing occurred at 7 PM local time, suggesting a discrepancy in the provided timestamp.
Meeting Transcript
I'm calling the August 17th, 2026 public hearing to order at approximately 7.03 p.m. I'd I'd request that uh um councilman Britton lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. I think to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Okay. The next order of business is to take the roll call. Uh Councilman Coella. Here. Councilman Flanagan. Here. Councilman Hawley. Councilwoman LePine is away. Councilman Salvatore. Here. Count Councilman Bazade, present. Councilwoman Gartner. Present. Councilwoman Faye. Councilman Henry. Councilwoman Wallace Smith cannot attend tonight. Councilwoman Spain Reichel. Councilman Giordano. Councilwoman Jabbar has a death in her family and will not be attending. Councilman Rotello. Councilman Chinese. Councilman Dwayne Perkins, I believe, contacted us and said he would not attend. Councilman Britton. Councilman McAllister. Councilwoman Robinson. Councilman Laughinghouse. Councilman Dennis Perkins. Thank you. Huh? 16 present and five not present. This is a public hearing, and I'm gonna read the notice. If I can find it. This is a public hearing that was noticed for Monday, today, August 17th at 7 p.m. It's to be held in the council chambers of the City of Danbury. The purpose of the public hearing is for the public to comment on amendments and changes to sections 22 through 22-19 through 2230. Those are ordinance ordinances consider uh concerning the Danbury Police Department. This meeting is specifically for members of the public to speak on the agenda item that's listed in the in the notice. That is the changes to that specific ordinance. Um please note our job is to listen to your concerns and comments on the items that are on the agenda. The council does not respond to the public's comments and does not interact with the public. The topic is limited to the ordinance that's that's presented here tonight. Um I open it for public speaking. Please come up. You may use either microphone and state your name and residence. Has speaking is limited to Danbury residents or taxpayers. Thank you. I'll now um call the item, which is item number one, amendments to section 22-19 through section 2230, the police department ordinances, uh, and the recommended changes that are proposed is now open for public speaking.
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