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NEW HAVEN, Conn. — <\/span>New Haven\u2019s police chief abruptly retired following allegations he stole money from a department account, Mayor Justin Elicker announced Monday.<\/p>\n The Democrat said Chief Karl Jacobson admitted he took money from a city fund that compensates confidential informants for helping police solve crimes. <\/p>\n He said the chief acknowledged taking the funds for personal use when three of his deputies confronted him Monday morning over the financial irregularities. <\/p>\n Elicker called the allegations \u201cshocking” and a \u201cbetrayal of public trust.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo one is above the law,” he said in an evening press conference at the police station. \u201cWe put our trust in law enforcement to uphold the law, not to violate the law themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Jacobson didn\u2019t immediately return an email seeking comment Monday. He had served as police chief in one of Connecticut\u2019s largest cities and home to Yale University for more than three years. <\/p>\n The mayor said he was set to meet with Jacobson and place him on administrative leave when the chief instead submitted his paperwork to retire, effective Monday.<\/p>\n Elicker said it\u2019s unclear how much and for how long Jacobson had been taking money from the informants’ account and that it doesn’t appear others were involved. He said city officials are cooperating with state investigators looking into the matter.<\/p>\n Elicker said he has tapped Assistant Police Chief David Zannelli, who was among the officers to confront Jacobson over the funds, to serve as interim chief.<\/p>\n Jacobson took office in July 2022<\/a>, just weeks after a Black man was paralyzed in the back of a police van<\/a> in an incident that roiled the police department and the city.<\/p>\n