Karl Jacobson, 56, the former police chief in New Haven, Connecticut, was arrested Friday on larceny charges following allegations he stole $85,000 from two department accounts. Jacobson, who abruptly retired in January, turned himself in on an arrest warrant and was later released on a court-set bond of $150,000, according to the state prosecutor’s office.
He faces two counts of larceny related to defrauding a public community.
The arrest of a high-ranking police official raises questions about oversight and accountability within law enforcement. Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin called embezzlement by a police officer “a serious matter” that “potentially undermines public confidence in the criminal justice system.”
A Gambling Problem Spirals
According to the arrest warrant, Jacobson admitted taking money from a city fund that compensates confidential informants for helping police solve crimes. When confronted by three of his deputies, Jacobson said he was spending too much money on sports betting apps and was seeking help for a gambling addiction. He told the deputies he intended to replace the money and asked them “for an opportunity to save myself” so he could avoid prison and losing his pension.
Investigators determined that between January 1, 2025, and January 5, 2026, Jacobson wagered more than $4.4 million on DraftKings and FanDuel accounts. He won more than $4.2 million but lost more than $214,000 over that period, according to bank records cited in the warrant. Jacobson earned $180,000 a year as police chief.
According to prosecutors, $81,500 was unaccounted for or misappropriated from the New Haven Police Department Narcotic Enforcement Fund between January 1, 2024, and January 5, 2026. 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 Two checks totaling $4,000 were also withdrawn from the New Haven Police Activity League Fund, which provides programs for the city’s youth, between December 23 and 24, 2025. Both checks were found in Jacobson’s personal account.
City Officials React
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker called the allegations “shocking” at a Friday news conference. He said Jacobson initially admitted taking only $10,000 from one account. “We didn’t know how deep this went,” Elicker said, noting the case remains under investigation. “It’s a very sad day for the city to see a chief, who was beloved by so many people, arrested for a theft of public money and also money that was intended for children,” he said.
A Tenure Marked by Crisis
Jacobson had served three years as police chief after taking office in July 2022, just weeks after a Black man was paralyzed in the back of a police van — an incident that roiled both the police department and the city. He had been with the New Haven Police Department for 15 years before his appointment as chief and previously served in the East Providence Police Department in Rhode Island for nine years.
Jacobson’s attorney, Gregory Cerritelli, said he could not comment on the specific allegations. “An arrest is not evidence of guilt and allegations are not proof,” he said in an email. “This is the beginning of a very long process. I urge everyone to keep an open mind and avoid a rush to judgment.”
Investigators said no one else at the police department was involved in the matter.