An officer who recently resigned as the police chief of one of Connecticut’s largest cities was arrested Friday after being accused of stealing more than $85,000 from two department accounts — money that was supposed to pay for some informants and an extracurricular program for youth.
Carl Jacobson, who abruptly retired from the New Haven Police Department in January, turned himself in on an arrest warrant. He was later released on a $150,000 court-set bond, the state prosecutor said in a news release. Jacobson faces two larceny counts of defrauding the public community.
“Allegation of misconduct by a police officer is a serious matter and undermines public confidence in the criminal justice system,” state attorney general Patrick J. Griffin said in a statement.
Jacobson’s attorney, Gregory Ceritelli, said he could not yet respond to specific allegations, but reminded the public that “an arrest is not proof of a crime and allegations are not proof.”
“This is the beginning of a very long process,” he said in an emailed statement. “I urge everyone to keep an open mind and not rush to judgement.”
In January, when New Haven Mayor Justin Eliker announced Jacobson’s retirement, the former chief admitted he took money from a city fund that compensates whistleblowers for helping police solve crimes.
Elicker said the former chief admitted to taking the funds for personal use when three of his deputies confronted him about financial irregularities.
The mayor called the allegations “shocking” and a “betrayal of the public trust”.
Jacobson served three years as police chief in New Haven, home of Yale University.
The state prosecutor’s office said Friday that the city of New Haven first reported the embezzlement allegations on Jan. 5, prompting an investigation by Connecticut State Police. An investigation revealed that between January 1, 2024 and January 5, 2026, $81,500 was unaccounted for or misappropriated from the New Haven Police Department Narcotics Enforcement Fund. Money from the fund is used to pay confidential informants who assist in narcotics investigations.
“The defendant had money available in that fund,” according to a news release, adding that bank records showed checks associated with the fund were deposited into Jacobson’s personal checking account.
Two checks totaling $4,000 were withdrawn from the New Haven Police Activity League Fund between December 23 and 24, 2025. Both were in Jacobson’s personal account, the prosecutor’s office said. The investigating officers said that no one else in the police department was involved in the matter.
Jacobson was with the department for 15 years before being named chief. He previously worked for the East Providence Police Department in Rhode Island for nine years.
