Nick Pastore
Encyclopedia
Nick Pastore served as chief of the New Haven, Connecticut
police department
from 1990 through 1997, during which period he gained national attention due to his successfully implemented policy of community policing, a contrast to the quasi-militaristic approach for which the department had previously been criticized. His policies drew national attention, and were featured on an episode of the weekly CBS
TV newsmagazine, 60 Minutes
. Pastore resigned as police chief in February 1997 over a scandal involving a prostitute.
It must be said that Nick Pastore also came into the position of Chief of Police with a very big axe to grind. In 1982 Nick Pastore was an Acting Deputy Chief of Police in the New Haven Police with a civil service rank of lieutenant, having been appointed to the position circumventing the civil service promotion process. The City of New Haven was sued by many of the officers who would later be in command positions when Pastore returned. Pastore left the Department in 1982 retiring at the civil service rank of lieutenant on a disability. Within weeks of becoming Chief these officers in high ranking positions were forced to retire or in one case, he moved a Captain to the dog pound, all had sued.
The previous New Haven police policies had been criticized as resembling an occupying force
in some of the impoverished, generally African-American areas of the city, with "beat down posses" which would physically attack loitering groups of young black males and numerous lawsuits for police brutality
. In the May 31, 1999 issue of The Nation
, Pastore describes the department which he took over: "SWAT
was going out several times a week. We were in full military mode—worst type of policing in the world...The whole city was suffering trauma. We had politicians saying, 'the streets are a war zone, the police have taken over' and the police were driven by fear and adventure. SWAT was a big part of that." He contrasts that with his approach: "The community policing broke down the anonymity between the people and the police. That creates accountability and cuts down on brutality. Brutality thrives on anonymity. Why do you think the SWAT teams wear these ninja suits, cover their badges and wear executioner masks?" http://www.itvs.org/NewCopOnTheBeat/paramilitary.html
Pastore instituted training programs in conflict resolution
, problem solving
, communication skills, sexual harassment
, diversity
, HIV
, languages such as Spanish
and American Sign Language
, and various other challenges which faced the department personnel. In addition he fostered outreach to the community, assigning officers to "walk the beat" in many neighborhoods rather than driving through, established working relationships with not only civic and church leaders, but also gang
leaders in an agreement to curb violent crime
, and established police substations in ten districts, with local district managers empowered to connect with the citizens of their district in order to make informed decisions. Other innovative programs included creating a Family Violence Unit to support the operation of a new Family Violence Court, a Sexual Assault and Bias Unit which specialized in the handling of these specialized crimes, and a Board of Police Public-access television
, a series of conferences and seminars for the community on topics regarding law enforcement and social problems, and a joint program with the Yale Child Study Center
which established teams of trained police officers, medical personnel, and counselors who responded immediately to crimes where children were involved.
Pastore's focus on the youth of the city also included establishment of a "Young Adult Board of Police Commissioners" composed of high school students who advised the department on issues regarding their age group. Achieving national recognition, the group met with President Bill Clinton
and addressed the United States Congress
.
In partnership with Harvard and Rutgers sociologist George Kelling, Pastore taught case management to police supervisors, and together with Yale psychiatrist
Theodore Zanker, M.D., he delivered seminars in contemporary affairs and ethics for police academy
students. He is currently an Associate Fellow of Morse College
at Yale University
.
Pastore went on to become a research fellow in police policy for the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation in Washington, D.C.
from 1997 to 2003, and he continues to advise law enforcement agencies, community groups, and city governments on handling crime. He belongs to many professional organizations including the International Association of Chiefs of Police
, the Police Executive Research Forum
, the National Association of Black Law Enforcement, and the Board of Directors of the Drug Policy Foundation. He has authored many professional publications regarding effective law enforcement as well as popular articles, and frequently speaks at national conferences and meetings.
Pastore also played a role in the famous New Haven Black Panther trials
; he was the officer who arrested Black Panther
leader Bobby Seale
and brought him to New Haven to stand trial, in 1970. In an episode symbolic of Pastore's policy of not making enemies, thirty one years later when Seale returned to New Haven to speak at the Yale Repertory Theatre
, he presented Pastore with a pink porcelain pig and a hug.http://www.gadflyonline.com/8-6-01/FTR-bobbyseale2.HTML
On February 7, 1997, Pastore resigned after it was revealed that he had fathered a child with Terrell Crocket, a convicted prostitute. Crocket gave birth to Pastore's daughter in February 1995. The State Department of Children and Families later declared Ms. Crocket an unfit mother and during the investigation she informed investigators that Pastore was the father. Pastore submitted to a paternity test that showed the child was his. Pastore said he would pay whatever child support was ordered by the court. At the time, Pastore was 58, married for 25 years, and the father of three grown children.
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
police department
New Haven Police Department
The New Haven Police Department is the law enforcement agency responsible for the city of New Haven, Connecticut.-Civilian Workforce:In addition to sworn officers, the department employs civilian employees for administrative functions funded partly by the Community Oriented Policing Services...
from 1990 through 1997, during which period he gained national attention due to his successfully implemented policy of community policing, a contrast to the quasi-militaristic approach for which the department had previously been criticized. His policies drew national attention, and were featured on an episode of the weekly CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
TV newsmagazine, 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
. Pastore resigned as police chief in February 1997 over a scandal involving a prostitute.
It must be said that Nick Pastore also came into the position of Chief of Police with a very big axe to grind. In 1982 Nick Pastore was an Acting Deputy Chief of Police in the New Haven Police with a civil service rank of lieutenant, having been appointed to the position circumventing the civil service promotion process. The City of New Haven was sued by many of the officers who would later be in command positions when Pastore returned. Pastore left the Department in 1982 retiring at the civil service rank of lieutenant on a disability. Within weeks of becoming Chief these officers in high ranking positions were forced to retire or in one case, he moved a Captain to the dog pound, all had sued.
The previous New Haven police policies had been criticized as resembling an occupying force
Military occupation
Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
in some of the impoverished, generally African-American areas of the city, with "beat down posses" which would physically attack loitering groups of young black males and numerous lawsuits for police brutality
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
. In the May 31, 1999 issue of The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
, Pastore describes the department which he took over: "SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
was going out several times a week. We were in full military mode—worst type of policing in the world...The whole city was suffering trauma. We had politicians saying, 'the streets are a war zone, the police have taken over' and the police were driven by fear and adventure. SWAT was a big part of that." He contrasts that with his approach: "The community policing broke down the anonymity between the people and the police. That creates accountability and cuts down on brutality. Brutality thrives on anonymity. Why do you think the SWAT teams wear these ninja suits, cover their badges and wear executioner masks?" http://www.itvs.org/NewCopOnTheBeat/paramilitary.html
Pastore instituted training programs in conflict resolution
Conflict resolution
Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of some social conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest...
, problem solving
Problem solving
Problem solving is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. Consideredthe most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of...
, communication skills, sexual harassment
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
, diversity
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
, HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
, languages such as Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and American Sign Language
American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
, and various other challenges which faced the department personnel. In addition he fostered outreach to the community, assigning officers to "walk the beat" in many neighborhoods rather than driving through, established working relationships with not only civic and church leaders, but also gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
leaders in an agreement to curb violent crime
Violent crime
A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, such as robbery. Violent...
, and established police substations in ten districts, with local district managers empowered to connect with the citizens of their district in order to make informed decisions. Other innovative programs included creating a Family Violence Unit to support the operation of a new Family Violence Court, a Sexual Assault and Bias Unit which specialized in the handling of these specialized crimes, and a Board of Police Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
, a series of conferences and seminars for the community on topics regarding law enforcement and social problems, and a joint program with the Yale Child Study Center
Yale Child Study Center
The Yale Child Study Center is a department at the Yale University School of Medicine. The center conducts research and provides clinical services and medical training related to children and families...
which established teams of trained police officers, medical personnel, and counselors who responded immediately to crimes where children were involved.
Pastore's focus on the youth of the city also included establishment of a "Young Adult Board of Police Commissioners" composed of high school students who advised the department on issues regarding their age group. Achieving national recognition, the group met with President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and addressed the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
In partnership with Harvard and Rutgers sociologist George Kelling, Pastore taught case management to police supervisors, and together with Yale psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
Theodore Zanker, M.D., he delivered seminars in contemporary affairs and ethics for police academy
Police academy
A police academy is a training school for new police recruits, also known as a law enforcement academy.-Australia:Larger police departments usually run their own academies. States often run a centralised academy for training of personnel of law enforcement agencies within the state.Police...
students. He is currently an Associate Fellow of Morse College
Morse College
Morse College is one of the twelve residential colleges at Yale University, built in 1961 and designed by Eero Saarinen. It is adjacent to Ezra Stiles College. The current Master is Frank Keil, Professor of Psychology and Professor of Linguistics. The Associate Master is Kristi Lockhart...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
Pastore went on to become a research fellow in police policy for the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
from 1997 to 2003, and he continues to advise law enforcement agencies, community groups, and city governments on handling crime. He belongs to many professional organizations including the International Association of Chiefs of Police
International Association of Chiefs of Police
The International Association of Chiefs of Police was founded in Chicago in 1893 as the National Chiefs of Police Union. The primary goal of this organization was to apprehend and return criminals who had fled the agency jurisdictions in which they were wanted...
, the Police Executive Research Forum
Police Executive Research Forum
The Police Executive Research Forum is a national membership organization of police executives from the largest city, county and state law enforcement agencies, primarily in the United States. The organization is dedicated to improving policing and advancing professionalism through research and...
, the National Association of Black Law Enforcement, and the Board of Directors of the Drug Policy Foundation. He has authored many professional publications regarding effective law enforcement as well as popular articles, and frequently speaks at national conferences and meetings.
Pastore also played a role in the famous New Haven Black Panther trials
New Haven Black Panther trials
In 1970 there were a series of criminal prosecutions in New Haven, Connecticut against various members of the Black Panther Party. The charges ranged from criminal conspiracy to felony murder. All indictments stemmed from the murder of nineteen-year-old Alex Rackley in the early hours of May 21,...
; he was the officer who arrested Black Panther
Black panther
A black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars , in Asia and Africa they are black leopards , and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars A black panther is...
leader Bobby Seale
Bobby Seale
Robert George "Bobby" Seale , is an activist. He is known for co-founding the Black Panther Party with Huey Newton.-Early life:...
and brought him to New Haven to stand trial, in 1970. In an episode symbolic of Pastore's policy of not making enemies, thirty one years later when Seale returned to New Haven to speak at the Yale Repertory Theatre
Yale Repertory Theatre
The Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of the Yale School of Drama in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented students. In the process it has become one of the...
, he presented Pastore with a pink porcelain pig and a hug.http://www.gadflyonline.com/8-6-01/FTR-bobbyseale2.HTML
On February 7, 1997, Pastore resigned after it was revealed that he had fathered a child with Terrell Crocket, a convicted prostitute. Crocket gave birth to Pastore's daughter in February 1995. The State Department of Children and Families later declared Ms. Crocket an unfit mother and during the investigation she informed investigators that Pastore was the father. Pastore submitted to a paternity test that showed the child was his. Pastore said he would pay whatever child support was ordered by the court. At the time, Pastore was 58, married for 25 years, and the father of three grown children.
Publications
- Fighting Terrorism: Where should the law enforcement focus be?, Eric E. Sterling and Nicholas Pastore, May 31, 2002.
- Parents Need Support from Cops, Teachers, Nicholas Pastore, New Haven Register, June, 1998.
- Torture Under Color of Authority, Nicholas Pastore, Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, November 23, 1997.
- Rude Rudy Sets Tone for Police Violence, Nicholas Pastore, New Haven Register, September 16, 1997.
- 200 Million Handguns Imprison People in Their Own Home, Nicholas Pastore, New Haven Register, July 29, 1997.
- Malik Jones Guilty of "Driving While Black", Nicholas Pastore, New Haven Register, June 23, 1997.
- http://www.newhavenadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=10001#So Much Crime, So Little Time, New Haven Advocate, October 9, 2008.