New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson abruptly resigned and retired Monday amid allegations that he stole money from the department’s account for paying confidential informants. Mayor Justin Elicker named Assistant Chief David Zannelli to step in as acting chief. The mayor held a 6:30 press c onference with the department’s three assistant chiefs to answer questions about the development. (Click here to watch a video of the press conference.) Police officers discovered that money was missing from the confidential informant fund and told the department’s three assistant chiefs, Elicker said at a press conference held Monday evening at police headquarters at 1 Union Ave. The assistant chiefs Monday morning confronted Jacobson, who “admitted to taking the funds for personal use,” Elicker said. The confrontation took place in the chief’s office. The assistant chiefs relayed the information to city Chief Administrative Officer Justin McCarthy, who then notified the mayor. Elicker subsequently told Jacobson on Monday that he was going to be placed on administrative leave because of the allegation. Jacobson retired instead. The mayor praised the officers for stepping forward: “When they saw something wrong, they did the right thing.” “Rest assured that the process does work,” Zannelli said. Acting New Haven Police Chief David Zannelli (center) with Mayor Justin Elicker, at a press conference on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. Credit: Thomas Breen / New Haven Independent “We don’t have any information that anyone else was involved in this theft,” Elicker said. Elicker declined to say how much money was stolen and over what time period, given the ongoing nature of an investigation into the matter. The city informed the state’s attorney’s office, which along with state police will now determine whether and how to pursue a criminal probe. Jacobson can retire and collect a pension, but that pension might be in jeopardy in the case of a criminal conviction, Elicker said in response to a question from the press. He noted that it’s “very early” in the matter. Police union attorney Marshall Segar said he was disappointed by the news. “We’ll see where the investigation goes,” he said. The mayor and chief had scheduled a 2 p.m. press conference to address Sunday’s double-fatal car crash in Westville. The press conference was cancelled moments before it was set to begin. Jacobson became the city’s chief in July 2022 after serving in an interim capacity. He earned wide respect for his connections to people in the community on all sides of law enforcement, for his support of officers, and for his work with federal and state agencies partnering with New Haven police. Days before he officially took over the job, his decision to provide fast, complete information about police misconduct that led to a transported suspect being hospitalized and paralyzed helped calm what could have been an explosive public crisis. That incident “opened my eyes that we needed change as a police department,” Jacobson subsequently reflected, as he pursued policy changes for handling of prisoners. “We talk about it in dog years: Being chief [for a year] in New Haven is like seven years if you were chief somewhere else,” Jacobson reflected about the daily pace of intense developments in a 2024 radio interview. “I remember a time six months into the job where I said, ‘Man, I don’t know if I can take this. It’s very stressful. It’s wearing on me.’ I just wanted to slow down. I wanted it to be quiet. Then I realized it’s never going to be quiet. It’s how I approach each issue.” Jacobson has also worked to replenish the ranks of officers after years of departures. Jacobson could not be reached for comment for this article. Asked for comment at Monday’s full Board of Alders meeting at City Hall, Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers spoke highly of Jacobson’s tenure as police chief. “He led the police department in a way that made me proud,” she said. “He worked along with the board when we talked about community policing, police officers who know the community. … I lived through the ’90s policing. It’s a totally different feel. We’ll be fine — no one person does it by themselves. We’ll continue doing the things that he started.” Laura Glesby contributed to this report. This story was first published on Jan. 5, 2026 by New Haven Independent. ...read more read less