Robert Garten News Today

Connecticut is slated to receive $8.8 million in federal public safety grants, including more than $3 million for the Hartford Police Department to hire 10 officers, according to a press release issued Friday by the U.S. Justice Department.

Hartford's streets long have been notorious for the disregard of traffic rules and signals, and the other night such disregard killed a city police officer, Robert Garten, and seriously injured another, Brian Kearney. According to the police account, their cruiser, its emergency lights flashing, was

Hartford Police Detective Garten's wake was at Dunkin’ Park Friday; funeral at XL Center Saturday. He died in a crash last week.

Several roads will be closed on Friday and Saturday for calling hours and a celebration of life ceremony for a Hartford officer killed in a crash while on duty.

The three Hartford mayoral candidates seeking the Democratic nomination made one last appeal to voters Thursday ahead of next week’s primary. 

With three Connecticut officers losing their lives while in the line of duty within a year, departments and mental health professionals are prepared to give police the supports they need to grieve.