HARTFORD SELECTS INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR CIVILIAN POLICE REVIEW BOARD

Published on January 13, 2022

HARTFORD, CONN. (January 13, 2022) –Today, Mayor Luke Bronin, City Council President Maly Rosado, and Civilian Police Review Board Chairman Eric Crawford announced the selection of Liam Brennan as Inspector General for the Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB). Brennan currently serves as Executive Director of the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center, a visiting lecturer at Yale Law School, and previously served for more than a decade as an Assistant United States Attorney at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, including as Director of the Federal Public Corruption Taskforce from 2015 to 2018.

“Liam Brennan is an immensely qualified, capable, and respected attorney, and we are lucky to have him as the first Inspector General for the Civilian Police Review Board,” said Mayor Luke Bronin. “We interviewed a number of candidates, and the selection committee found that Mr. Brennan’s breadth of experience and passion for justice and accountability make him the perfect candidate for this position. He will be an important asset in supporting the Civilian Police Review Board's mission to ensure accountability and transparency, as well as a fair and thorough process, both for our community and for our police officers.”

"Criminal justice reform is one of the most pressing issues of our time and law enforcement accountability is a central part of any reform effort,” said Liam Brennan. “The work that Hartford has done in strengthening its CPRB and launching the Inspector General position puts it at the leading edge of building a more just society. I am honored to serve in this role and I thank Mayor Bronin, Council President Maly Rosado, and CPRB Chair Eric Crawford for their commitment to this effort and for putting their trust in me to help carry it out. I look forward to working with them and with all stakeholders throughout the city in the days and months to come."

“The CPRB is an important asset towards creating a police department that is responsive to the residents of Hartford, and I am glad that we have found a capable Inspector General to promote that cause in Liam Brennan,” said Council President Maly Rosado. “He is knowledgeable and cares deeply about serving the community, so we have full faith in his ability. I want to thank him for stepping up, and I also want to thank Interim Inspector General Beth Merkin for her service over these last eight months."

“We interviewed many candidates, but in my eyes, Liam Brennan was the best suited to continue the work that Beth Merkin had started over a year ago,” said Eric Crawford, Chair of the Civilian Police Review Board. “With last year’s reforms, and with the selection of Mr. Brennan, the CPRB and the City of Hartford are headed in the right direction in service of the community. I want to thank Mr. Brennan for stepping up to serve Hartford, and I am very excited to work with him in the coming months.”

Brennan will replace Interim Inspector General Beth Merkin, who had been serving in the position since April of 2021. During this time, she oversaw investigations and provided administrative support to the CPRB. She had previously been a career public defender in the New Haven Judicial District.

“I'm deeply grateful to Attorney Merkin for providing vital support to the CPRB as it worked to implement its new authorities,” said Mayor Bronin. “We were very lucky to have her leadership and experience as Interim Inspector General.”

Hartford’s Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB) investigates civilian complaints of police misconduct. In the Fall of 2020, the City passed significant reforms to strengthen the Board, including giving it subpoena power, ensuring that its findings are more than advisory, and establishing the Inspector General position, among other reforms. Both the Inspector General and the CPRB are supported by the City’s Office of Equity and Opportunity, led by Karen Taylor.

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