The horses make an appearance at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Garden and Ashley on May 11, 2016

It’s been a tough few weeks for the police, perhaps tougher for those who have made questionable moves.

Budget cuts have eliminated the Mounted Police, effective at the beginning of July. A few mounted police made an appearance at the Zunner Building opening ceremony on Wednesday, where the governor, mayor, and other elected City and State politicians were present. Though well attended, the need for crowd control at this event was not apparent.

The Animal Control Unit has been significantly reduced; ACO Sherry DeGenova, who has earned the reputation of being valuable for her non-stop passion and commitment to her work, was among those cut. Responding to this decision, the community — including many people from beyond Hartford’s borders who adopted dogs that would have otherwise been killed — has marched, petitioned, filled City Hall during a Council meeting, and gone very public with its discontent over a budget cut that some are claiming will actually cost the City of Hartford more money in the long run.

A few days ago, Councilwoman Winch left a backhanded compliment on her Facebook page:

A screenshot of Councilwoman rJo Winch’s Facebook page

 

As of publication, this post remains on the councilwoman’s page (more than once, actually) along with additional comments from her, none of which add any nuance to her original claim.

Hartford Police Department’s Deputy Chief Brian J. Foley responded to the councilwoman’s claim with a series of tweets yesterday, primarily photos showing members of the HPD interacting with the community: