Center for Leadership and Justice

09/25/2026

💪🏾 NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZING WORKS: 9 OF 9!

The Center for Leadership and Justice is proud to celebrate a major organizing milestone: all nine members of the Hartford Court of Common Council have signed on to the revised Civilian Police Review Board ordinance.**

This is a Neighborhood Organizing win.

Through CLJ’s Neighborhood Organizing work and the North Hartford Public Safety Coalition, residents built relationships, shared their experiences, marched, testified, met with decision-makers and stayed engaged. This victory was built one conversation, one meeting and one action at a time.

The revised ordinance would strengthen independent investigations of police misconduct, improve access to evidence, confirm subpoena authority, establish clearer accountability measures, protect the Inspector General’s independence and expand community input.

For Hartford residents, this means a stronger, fairer and more transparent process when complaints are filed.

The ordinance is scheduled for final action:

📅 Monday, September 28
⏰ 7:00 p.m.
📍 Hartford City Hall, 550 Main Street
📋 Agenda Item 5.3

Join us at City Hall or watch live through HPATV:

https://hpatv.org/government-channel/

Council agenda:

https://hartford.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Id=18557

We celebrate this milestone while recognizing that the work is not finished. Passage must be followed by strong implementation and continued community oversight.

**Residents organized. Leaders listened. Community power moved policy.**

09/25/2026

An inspiring evening supporting and celebrating the amazing and vital work of Make the Road CT. Make the Road CT builds power and fights for justice and respect for immigrant and working-class communities. And they do it well. Please support them

09/18/2026

🚨 **ACTION ALERT: Hartford, Your Voice Is Needed!**

The Center for Leadership and Justice and the North Hartford Public Safety Coalition are mobilizing residents for a critical virtual public hearing concerning proposed amendments to Hartford’s Civilian Police Review Board Ordinance.

📅 **Monday, September 21**
⏰ **7:00 p.m.**
💻 **Virtual Public Hearing**

City Council has made **two limited revisions** to the proposed amendments:

1️⃣ The language now makes it even clearer that the Chief of Police retains the final authority to determine discipline after an independent arbitrator sustains a complaint.

2️⃣ The provision establishing a separate budget for the Inspector General’s Office has been removed to avoid a possible conflict with the City Charter.

The remaining reforms have not changed. They are designed to:

✅ Require HPD to provide requested records and evidence in a timely manner.
✅ Strengthen the CPRB’s ability to independently investigate complaints.
✅ Preserve an arbitration process when the CPRB disagrees with the Police Chief’s findings.
✅ Reduce costly legal disputes over subpoenas and access to information.
✅ Protect the rights of domestic violence and sexual-assault survivors seeking an independent review.
✅ Build greater public trust through transparency and accountability.

Hartford residents currently bear the cost when the Police Department and Internal Affairs challenge CPRB subpoenas and the City must hire attorneys to litigate access to information. Clearer rules can reduce these unnecessary legal expenses and allow public resources to support policing and essential city services.

A civilian review board cannot provide meaningful oversight without the authority, information, and cooperation needed to perform its duties. We cannot allow a weak community showing while opponents organize against these reforms.

We need residents to **attend, speak, and show visible community support.**

✅ **SIGN UP TODAY:**
https://forms.gle/6j3wFJJdq3ZbMGbRA

**Turn out. Speak up. Stand for transparency and accountability.**

09/03/2026

Last night dozens of GHIAA leaders joined hundreds of others in a massive protest against the recent ICE actions in Danbury. At least 65 people have been taken from the small city where agents have been specifically targeting bus stops and places of employment.

State and federal lawmakers were on-hand, many calling on Congress to stop funding for ICE.

08/31/2026

Join CLJ and allied organizations on Wednesday evening at 5pm in Danbury, CT for a rally and march! Bus transportation provided on a first come, first served basis - leaving Hartford at 2:45pm. To inquire about reserving a seat, email [email protected] for more info.

07/23/2026

Monday night dozens of community leaders took to the streets in the name of safety and accountability for all Hartford residents. Later that evening Hartford City Council members heard public comments regarding amendments that would strengthen the Civilian Police Review Board.

07/21/2026

Members of the North Hartford Public Safety Coalition and GHIAA call on Hartford City Council to pass the amendments proposed for strengthening the Hartford Civilian Police Review Board.

Organizers and community members called for change Monday evening in Hartford with two goals in mind: bringing an end to violence and strengthening the reach of Hartford's Civilian Police Review Board.

05/18/2026

Today, the North Hartford Public Safety Coalition released a public statement regarding the Office of Inspector General’s report on the tragic death of Steven Jones.

The findings confirm what many residents and community members expressed from the beginning:

Steven Jones was experiencing a severe mental health crisis, and the use of deadly force was determined to be “not objectively reasonable” and “not legally justified.”

While this report and the resulting charges represent an important step toward accountability, our community continues to carry deep pain, trauma, and grief.

We remain committed to advocating for:

• Stronger mental health crisis response systems
• Greater use of trained behavioral health professionals
• Transparency and accountability
• Full activation of the Police Accountability Review Board
• Community-centered public safety reform

Healing and justice must move together.

Please continue to keep the Jones family, impacted residents, first responders, and the City of Hartford in your prayers as we work toward restoring trust and preventing tragedies like this in the future.

05/05/2026

GHIAA is deeply grateful for the powerful, collaborative organizing that led to the passage of House Bill 397!

This landmark bill:

*Protects sensitive locations from civil immigration enforcement

*Creates accountability for federal agents who violate constitutional rights

*Limits the use and sharing of harmful surveillance data

HB 397 is one of the strongest laws in the country defending state residents from violent, racist federal overreach.

On Monday, Governor Lamont signed the bill into law, and GHIAA leaders joined many partners and allies to witness this important step toward justice.

Thank you to everyone who took action, shared stories, showed up, and refused to give up. This is what public, multi-faith, multi-racial power looks like

05/01/2026

We have a big win to celebrate today! This afternoon, the House passed SB 397, the combined bill that safeguards sensitive areas from civil immigration enforcement, establishes accountability for federal agents when they violate constitutional rights, and limits the use and sharing of surveillance data. The bill was previously passed by the Senate, and it now moves forward to Gov. Lamont’s desk to be signed into law, which we anticipate he will do in the coming days. GHIAA has been actively organizing on this issue, along with allies from CT For All, CT Students for a Dream, HUSKY 4 Immigrants, Hartford Deportation Defense, Make The Road CT, SEIU 1199, SEIU 32BJ, ACLU-CT, and so many others.