BridgeportPuertoRican festivities go 'smoothly,' organizers say police detail was 'amazing'

Jul. 10—"I just had so much fun yesterday," rasped Feliciano, who, when the annual Puerto Rican parade's president resigned in early May, took over planning this past Sunday's 30th anniversary festivities.

And despite some prior concerns about the inability of Bridgeport's understaffed police force to be able to handle the back-to-back march and festival, both events, which drew an estimated 4,000 participants, went smoothly, according to her and Chief Roderick Porter.

"It was a good time," Feliciano said.

Efrain Colon's abrupt departure in the spring was just one challenge Feliciano and other organizers had to overcome. For the last few weeks Porter, hired as top cop late last year by Mayor Joe Ganim, and some of his staff had publicly called for Sunday's post-parade party at Seaside Park to be either canceled or rescheduled due to the department's severe manpower shortage.

At the start of July, retirements had left the already understaffed force at a new recent low with about 256 officers. Porter has stated his ideal number is 375.

And while the parade had in mid-June obtained the necessary permit from the parks board to hold its Seaside gathering, predicted at the time to draw a larger crowd of between 7,000 and 10,000 people, the chief had been declining to formally OK that event.

Such friction between the city's police and leaders representing a large segment of diverse Bridgeport's community also was not a great thing for Ganim, who is up for re-election. After Puerto Rican parade organizers issued a statement June 29 that their celebration would go forward as planned, Ganim's office early last week assured Hearst Connecticut Media that police officers would be assigned to the parade and festival even without the chief's formal sign-off.

And Porter also showed up. His department highlighted on social media his walking in the parade along with officers and cadets currently attending the city's police academy. And Captain Manual Cotto, who, along with Deputy Police Chief James Baraja, in mid-June had urged the parks board not to issue the festival permit, also marched.

The exact number of officers deployed Sunday and the overtime costs were not immediately available.

Feliciano was pleased with how the police in attendance conducted themselves.

"We walked down that (parade) route and those officers were amazing, whether forced to be there or not," she said Monday. "They were talking to people. (One) was throwing a football with some of the kids. We really need to thank the officers that were there. Their positive attitudes really helped yesterday."

Kelvin Ayala, another organizer, agreed.

"From a public safety standpoint the Bridgeport Police Department did an amazing job from beginning to end," he said. "Kudos to the chief and his entire team."

Ayala said while peak turnout was 4,000 and not close to the higher numbers provided the parks board in June, it was the largest parade in years.

Porter in an interview Monday said, "Overall things went well. It went smoothly." The top cop noted that despite his opposition to the festival, he did issue an internal "all-hands" memorandum requiring the men and women under his command to be prepared to work that day, and that he bolstered the regular detail that would be assigned to Seaside Park on a summer Sunday.

"Obviously we had contingencies in place for anything that happens in the park on a regular basis," Porter said.

The chief believes the overcast weather and threat of rain may have helped reduce attendance, while Feliciano credited organizers' own previously stated efforts, including limiting the festival's hours, booking local food vendors and musical entertainment rather than those from out-of-state, and other adjustments.

"The concessions we made helped," she said.

"I definitely feel like my concerns were justified," Porter said. "I stand by my concerns. I'm glad it went well."

He was also pleased to hear Feliciano's compliments about the department.

"They (officers) do their job. They're professional," Porter said, adding he personally witnessed how members of the force were "well-received" by attendees. "Which makes me feel like we're doing something right."

Porter in June had publicly questioned why the appointed parks commission ignored his department's concerns about the Puerto Rican festival and issued the permit for Seaside Park. Board Chairman Banjed Labrador at that time said it was up to the chief to try to stop the event if he had concerns.

"They want us to be the bad guys," Labrador had said.

Labrador also spent his day at the parade and afterward at Seaside.

"No one's called me about anything negative (happening)," Labrador said Monday. "Thank God everything went well. It was good for our park. People came out, gathered and had a great time and ate food and listened to different styles of music."

"I want to thank the people of the city who attended the event and made the event a great success," Labrador added.