More trouble for the Mayor of Hartford’s former chief of staff.
Hartford Police Internal Affairs Division is investigating why Jared Kupiec was driving a city registered SUV more than two weeks after leaving his post.
According to a police incident report, an officer noticed some car windows smashed on Capitol Avenue in Hartford Monday morning and one of those cars was registered to the city. The Silver Ford Explorer SUV was parked in front of Kupiec’s partment.
Kupiec admitted to police and the mayor to keeping a spare set of keys to his former SUV and using the vehicle for the weekend without permission, according to the Mayor office.
“It’s bizarre. It may in fact be criminal and we’re gonna follow this where it leaves,” said City Council President Shawn Wooden.
According to the incident report, Kupiec first denied knowing how the car ended up outside his Capitol Avenue apartment. He admitted to not turning in a spare set of keys when he stepped down from the city job on June 21st, but added he did not touch the vehicle since that time.
Mayor Pedro Segarra issued a statement saying:
“I am deeply disturbed and disappointed by this news. We’re getting all the facts and will act accordingly.”
Hartford Police Chief James Rovella confirmed the Internal Affairs division investigation.
Prior to his departure, Kupiec did cause some controversy with his use of a city issued credit card and his involvement in a car accident.
“Its pretty clear to me at this point that we have a person who is no longer an employee of the city of Hartford driving a city of Hartford vehicle that many thought he shouldn’t have had in the first place,” said Wooden. “This has to be pursued very aggressively. It’s unacceptable.Totally unacceptable.”
The incident was first reported on the blog “We The People Hartford. The Mayor’s Office says they did not know about the incident until its author, Hartford resident Kevin Brookman, called them for comment.
Jared Kupiec did not return a phone call asking for comment.