Ex-Connecticut police chief arrested over alleged $85,000 theft from department funds
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The former police chief of New Haven, Connecticut, was arrested Friday on theft charges following allegations he stole $85,000 from two department accounts.
Karl Jacobson, who abruptly retired from the department in January, turned himself in on an arrest warrant. He was later released on a court-set bond of $150,000, a state attorney said in a news release. Jacobson faces two counts of theft related to defrauding the public community.
“An allegation of embezzlement by a law enforcement officer is a serious matter and could undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system,” Chief State Attorney Patrick J. Griffin said in a statement.
A message was left seeking comment with Jacobson’s attorney.
Last month, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, in announcing Jacobson’s retirement, said the former chief admitted to taking money from a city fund that pays confidential informants for helping police solve crimes.
Elicker said the former chief admitted to taking the funds for his personal use when three of his deputies confronted him about financial irregularities.
The mayor called the allegations “shocking” and a “betrayal of public trust.”
Jacobson served for three years as police chief in one of Connecticut’s largest cities, home to Yale University.
The State Attorney’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. The investigation revealed that $81,500 went missing or was embezzled from the New Haven Police Department’s Narcotics Fund between January 1, 2024 and January 5, 2026. Money from the fund is used to pay confidential informants who assist in narcotics investigations.
“The defendant had access to money in this fund,” according to a news release, which said bank records showed checks associated with the fund were deposited into Jacobson’s personal checking account.
Two checks totaling $4,000 were also withdrawn from the New Haven Police Activity League Fund between December 23 and 24, 2025. The DA’s office said both were found in Jacobson’s personal account. Investigators said no one else within the police department was involved in the case.
Jacobson had been with the department for 15 years before being named chief. He previously worked for nine years with the East Providence, Rhode Island Police Department.
