Members Chosen For West Hartford Civilian Police Review Board

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The West Hartford Town Council Tuesday appointed the members of its new Civilian Police Review Board.

The council established the CPRB in February. West Hartford is one of the first Connecticut municipalities to have established a civilian police review board using new authority provided in the "police accountability" legislation adopted by the state General Assembly last summer.

The CPRB consists of seven civilian regular members and three alternates appointed by the council.

The CPRB will be responsible for reviewing the internal investigation of all complaints received by the West Hartford Police Department and for providing the council with annual policy recommendations.

The CPRB will begin its work on July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

"Independent civilian review builds on the trust that already exists between our community and the incredible professionals of the West Hartford Police Department," West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor said.

Cantor said that it was important to the council that the CPRB represent all geographic areas in town, as well as a "wide diversity of life experience."

She added, "This impressive slate of appointees brings a diverse set of life experiences to the table, and I am confident they will approach their work in an independent and fair-minded way."

Over 80 residents expressed interest in serving on the review board.

"We are so fortunate to have a high number of very qualified and dedicated residents. Choosing among such a talented pool of candidates was very difficult," Minority Leader Lee Gold said.

Council member Carol Blanks, who chairs the council’s Public Safety Committee, thanked the members of the CPRB for agreeing to serve.

"Transparency and accountability are critical to good policing, and I want to thank all of the volunteers for their commitment to West Hartford."

West Hartford Police Chief Vernon Riddick said he os looking forward to working with the CPRB.

"The West Hartford Police Department is dedicated to the highest standards of professional excellence, and we take all complaints very seriously" Riddick said. "We welcome additional civilian oversight, and I look forward to working with this group to ensure we are continuing best practices at all times."

The new board members are Veronica Badiola (D), Adrienne Billings-Smith (D), Bjorn Burke (U), Nabin Chettri (U), Alberto Cortes (R), Robin Kallor (U) and Olinda Morales (D). Alternate members are Kathleen Costello Hindman (D), Gabriela Downey (R) and Matthew Horowitz (D).

Here are biographies of the members:

• Veronica Badiola has been a resident of West Hartford for 27 years. She was a clinician at InterConnections, LLC, a treatment center for clients with short and long-term psychiatric conditions. Prior to that position, she was a social worker at The Institute of Living for more than ten years. Badiola has served as a volunteer for The Bridge Family Center, Hillcrest Area Neighborhood Outreach Center and West Hartford Social Services, as well as Norfeldt School, where she provided translation as a fluent Spanish speaker and cultural consulting services.
• Adrienne Billings-Smith is a local lawyer and flight attendant. She earned her Juris Doctorate in 2013 and has been practicing law in Connecticut since 2014. She is a former high school and college basketball coach and college basketball player. Billings-Smith is also the founder and president of Concerned Parents of Color of West Hartford and past co-chair of the West Hartford’s Human Rights Commission. She works to make a positive and productive difference in West Hartford.
• Bjorn Burke emigrated from Jamaica in 2000 and attended the University of Bridgeport, where he received his degree in finance. Throughout his career, he has had employment in the nonprofit, municipal and corporate sectors and presently is the Assistant Director of Business and Finance at the Newtown Board of Education. In his role in banking, he is often tasked with conducting due diligence on investors and investment schemes. His research includes determining if investors are involved in money laundering, terrorist financing or violating the Patriot Act. Burke has volunteered as a college mentor, soccer coach and fundraiser. He is a member of the West Hartford African American Social and Cultural Organization.
• Nabin Chettri, a native of Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal, moved to West Hartford in 2004 with his wife and two children and is part of a rapidly growing Nepalese community in town. Nabin was an advisory board member for the Nepalese Association of Connecticut. He is an active member of the Lions Club and helps to organize their work in support of Veterans. He works at Connecticut Distributors Inc. as a sales representative. Working with many businesses has given him the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. Chettri earned his Bachelor degree from North Bengal University, India, in 1988 in economics and history.
• Alberto Cortes, a longtime West Hartford resident, retired from the State of Connecticut Department of Corrections after more than 20 years of service as a corrections officer. During that time, he serve as a union steward for Local 387 and spent six years serving in the Connecticut Army National Guard. Since retiring, he remains active with his church council, as well as volunteering with the West Hartford Commission on Veterans Affairs, Greater Hartford Autism Speaks, Hartford Marathon Foundation, an several other organizations.
• Robin Kallor, a founding member of Rose Kallor, LLP, has been a labor and employment lawyer since 1997, specializing in mediation, litigation, counseling and training in both private and public sectors. Kallor gives advice and litigates on issues relating to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability discrimination, defamation, and other work-related tort claims and human resources issues. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Hofstra University in 1997. She was named 2020 Lawyer of the Year, Labor-Management in Hartford by Best Lawyers in America.
• Olinda Morales is a Latina attorney with extensive experience with interpreting federal and state confidentiality and privacy laws as well as employment law, immigration and tax law, and multicultural health. She presently works in the legal office of the Connecticut Department of Public Health and for the past 20 years she has also operated her private practice, the Law Office of Olinda Morales. Morales has been an alternate on the Town’s Zoning Board of Appeals since 2019. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut, School of Law in May 2000.
• Kathleen Costello Hindman is a children's services consultant with the State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families and is an adjunct professor at Goodwin College. She holds a Master of Social Work in Policy Practice from the University of Connecticut. Hindman has lived in West Hartford for 25 years. She is trained in restorative justice practices through the Office of Policy and Management Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee’s program, “Effective School Interactions with Students and Police.”
• Gabriela Downey has been a resident of West Hartford for 25 years and is a 2014 Conard High School graduate. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of Hartford in 2020 and is a 2019 recipient of the West Hartford Police Department’s Citizens Award. In her role as Associate Contracts Administrator with Collins Aerospace, Downey ensures that terms and conditions as well as compliance are met.
• Matthew Horowitz is a partner with Wolf, Horowitz & Etlinger PC, specializing in fidelity and surety claims and litigation since 1990. He has previously worked as a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union in Houston, Texas. Horowitz taught Civil Procedure at University of Connecticut School of Law. He managed the Civil Law Clinic at Western New England School of Law where he was an Associate Professor of Law and taught Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Lawyering Skills. He has been involved in litigation regarding law enforcement crowd control practices in both Connecticut and Houston.