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An official who recently resigned as police chief of one of Connecticut’s largest cities was arrested on Friday on larceny charges after allegations that he stole more than $85,000 from two department accounts – money that was meant to pay for certain informants as well as a youth extracurricular program.
Karl 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 court-set bond of $150,000, a state prosecutor said in a news release. Jacobson faces two counts of larceny related to defrauding a public community.
“An allegation of embezzlement by a police official is a serious matter and potentially undermines public confidence in the criminal justice system,” the chief state’s attorney, Patrick J Griffin, said in a statement.
Jacobson’s lawyer, Gregory Cerritelli, said he couldn’t respond to the specific allegations yet but reminded the public that “an arrest is not evidence of guilt 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 avoid a rush to judgment.”
In January, New Haven’s mayor, Justin Elicker, when announcing Jacobson’s retirement, said the former chief admitted he took money from a city fund that compensates confidential informants for helping police solve crimes.
Elicker said the former chief had acknowledged taking the funds for personal use when three of his deputies confronted him over the financial irregularities.
The mayor has called the allegations “shocking” and a “betrayal of public trust”.
Jacobson had served for three years as police chief in New Haven, which is home to Yale University.
The state prosecutor’s office said on Friday that the city of New Haven first reported the embezzlement allegations on 5 January, which prompted an investigation by the Connecticut state police. The probe revealed $81,500 was unaccounted for or misappropriated from the New Haven police department narcotic enforcement fund between 1 January 2024 and 5 January 2026. Money from the fund is used to pay confidential informants who help in narcotics investigations.
“The defendant had access to money in that 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Two checks totaling $4,000 were also withdrawn from the New Haven police activity league fund between 23 and 24 December 2025. The prosecutor’s office said both were found in Jacobson’s personal account. Investigators said no one else at the police department was involved in the matter.
Jacobson had been with the department for 15 years before being named chief. He previously served in the East Providence police department in Rhode Island for nine years.
