State police detectives have been assigned to investigate misuse of funds at the New Haven police department following outgoing chief Karl Jacobsen’s abrupt resignation amid allegations that he stole from a department account to finance a gambling habit.
Chief State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin said Tuesday that he has chosen a prosecutor from outside the New Haven area, New Britain State’s Attorney Christian M. Watson, to supervise the investigation.
Jacobsen, who was appointed chief in 2022, is suspected of stealing money from a department fund that was created to pay confidential informants. A law enforcement source said the total stolen could exceed $10,000. Another official said the state police investigation will determine whether others may have been involved in theft.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker summoned Jacobsen to City Hall Monday shortly after noon to place him on leave. Jacobsen arrived late, stopping on route at the city pension office to submit retirement papers, officials said.
Elicker said at a press conference Monday evening that Jacobsen admitted taking the money for personal use. The mayor would not say how much money was stolen or over what period
Jacobsen joined the New Haven department from the East Providence, RI department in 2007 and, after climbing the ranks, was appointed chief in 2022.
“It’s a shock to me, a shock to the command staff, to the men and women of the New Haven police department, a shock to the community. It’s a betrayal of public trust,” Elicker said, but “no one is above the law. We treat everyone the same and that includes the New Haven chief of police. We’ll follow the facts where they lead and of course we will fully cooperate with the state police and the state’s attorney’s office.”
Elicker appointed Assistant Police Chief David Zannelli as acting chief and praised Zannelli, the officers who came forward to report their concerns about wrongdoing and the city’s police force.
Zannelli, Elicker said, has worked for the New Haven Police Department since 2008, working his way up through the ranks and most recently serving as assistant chief of the investigative services division.
“I have the utmost confidence in his ability. I’ve worked with him for many many years. He’s a strong leader. He is someone with integrity and he brings a wealth of experiences having worked with many different issues of the New Haven Police Department,” Elicker said.