Ex-Police Chief Charged in Theft

A retired police chief in New Haven, Connecticut, was arrested Friday on larceny charges after being accused of taking $85,000 from two department accounts.

Karl Jacobson, who stepped down from the department in January, turned himself in on an arrest warrant, according to the Associated Press. He was later released after posting a court-set bond of $150,000, prosecutors said in a news release. Jacobson faces two larceny counts tied to allegedly defrauding a public entity.

“An allegation of embezzlement by a police official is a serious matter and potentially undermines public confidence in the criminal justice system,” Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin said in a statement.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said when announcing Jacobson’s retirement last month that the chief had admitted taking money from a city fund used to compensate confidential informants who assist police investigations. According to the mayor, Jacobson acknowledged using the funds for personal purposes after three deputy chiefs confronted him about financial irregularities. Elicker described the allegations as a “betrayal of public trust.”

Jacobson served three years as police chief in one of Connecticut’s largest cities, home to Yale University. He had worked for the department for 15 years before being appointed chief.