Officials in Manchester say several police officers were disciplined after an August incident where they were filmed saying they would start a "manhunt" for an unhoused person in an alley.
The Manchester Police Department shared few details about the officers involved and how they were disciplined, and the agency has not responded to additional questions from NHPR. However, the Union Leader reports the department suspended two officers and gave one a written reprimand.
In a joint statement issued by the police department and the mayor’s office Tuesday morning, Chief Allen Aldenberg took full responsibility for the actions of the officers.
“I also have the responsibility to address their behavior in order to make them better police officers,” Aldenberg said. “I am fully confident that the involved officers have learned a great deal from this incident and I am certain that this behavior will not be repeated.”
Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais said he supports the department and its handling of the incident. He said law enforcement “must always be done in a compassionate and empathic way with the ultimate goal of connecting an individual to resources and breaking the cycle of homelessness.”
“If an individual wants and needs help in this city, it exists,” Ruais said, “but we cannot tolerate unlawful behavior and I will continue to support the Manchester Police Department in their work.”
At a a meeting of the Board of Mayor and Alderman in early September, about a dozen Manchester residents expressed their disapproval of the way the city has handled unhoused residents and this incident in particular.
Homelessness has been a persistent challenge across New Hampshire in recent years. This summer, the Manchester mayor and board of aldermen voted to ban camping in city streets and parks, following a Supreme Court decision that allows it.
