( CNN ) -- The mayor of East Haven , Connecticut , apologized Wednesday for saying he would help Latinos in his town by eating tacos , a remark that sparked anger from state officials and immigrant advocates already fuming over allegations of police mistreatment of Latinos in his city . `` My sincerest apologies go out to the East Haven community and , in particular , the Latino community for the insensitive and off-color comment that I made to WPIX reporter Mario Diaz yesterday regarding the recent events affecting our community and our police department , '' Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. said in a statement . `` Unfortunately , I let the stress of the situation get the best of me and inflamed what is already a serious and unfortunate situation . '' He was referring to the arrests of four East Haven police officers by FBI agents Tuesday for their alleged roles in abusing Latino residents and business owners , performing illegal searches , making false arrests and harassing immigrant rights advocates . The arrests are the first to stem from a federal investigation into racial profiling in the city and follow a scathing December report from the U.S. Justice Department that accused the town 's police of engaging in `` discriminatory policing against Latinos . '' In the interview later Tuesday , Diaz pointed out that there were no Latino officers on the police force . `` And your point being ? '' Maturo responded . When asked then what he planned to do for the Latino community in light of the discrimination allegations , the mayor said , `` I might have tacos when I go home , I 'm not quite sure yet . '' Gov . Dannel P. Malloy on Wednesday slammed Maturo 's comment as `` repugnant '' and `` unacceptable . '' Malloy said the remarks `` represent either a horrible lack of judgment or worse , an underlying insensitivity to our Latino community that is unacceptable . '' `` He owes an apology to the community , and more importantly , he needs to show what he 's going to do to repair the damage he 's done , '' the governor said . `` And he needs to do it today . '' Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra added Wednesday that he was `` disgusted by Mayor Maturo 's comment . '' He said Maturo 's words suggested that the accusations of discrimination were `` dismissed and disregarded . '' `` Many have worked diligently to correct the painful history of racism in this country , and Mayor Maturo 's comments are a disappointing example of how far we still have to go to , '' said Segarra . Maturo on Tuesday called the arrests of the officers `` unfortunate '' and said his office `` stands behind the East Haven Police Department . '' Following his apology a day later , Maturo then asked the public to consider the difficulties the arrested officers and their families must be going through in the wake of the scandal . `` It 's really a devastation to them , '' he told CNN . `` It 's my apology to the communities out there ; whether they 're Latino or not is secondary to what our town is suffering and going through at this particular time . '' Maturo made no mention of any of the alleged Latino victims in the case . `` What I apologized most to ( WPIX reporter ) Mario was that I think I might have hurt him personally , and I can understand that , '' the mayor added . `` Being of Italian descent , there 's been plenty of people that have said to me , 'Oh you live in East Haven , ' and we all know what that refers to . Or , 'Oh you 're Italian ; you must like meatballs and spaghetti . ' We all know what that refers to . And sometimes I take those comments to heart , ( even ) when I realize sometimes there was nothing meant by them . '' `` I 've been talking since 6 o'clock yesterday morning , '' Maturo added , saying he had done more than a dozen interviews . He later claimed that his comment had been taken out of context . On Tuesday , the mayor cautioned against the blaming police prematurely . `` They 're innocent until proven guilty , '' he said . Maturo added that he does n't believe allegations of such systemic discrimination in East Haven are accurate . `` We have an open community here , '' he said , speaking on behalf of the police department . However , Maturo said his town `` is prepared to do all that is necessary to address the consequences of ( the ) grand jury indictment . '' Still , many Latino residents of East Haven say they 've for years had to contend with an overly aggressive police force . `` They always come by and bother us , '' said Esdras Marin , a manager at La Bamba , a Latino-owned bar and restaurant named in the indictment . `` Police come in two or three times a month and ask everyone in the restaurant for their identification , '' he said . `` And if you do n't have it , they threaten us and say they 're going to call the immigration office . '' The effect , Marin said , has left many in the town 's Latino community fearful of East Haven authorities . One incident occurred in La Bamba 's parking lot on November 22 , 2008 , the indictment said , when officer Dennis Spaulding allegedly handcuffed an individual on false pretenses and threw him down onto the pavement , causing a `` deep cut '' to the man 's chin . Spaulding then allegedly kicked the man repeatedly , and later fabricated a false report to `` conceal and cover-up his assault , '' it said . Others , such as Chino Perez , an East Haven hairdresser at Maly 's Salon , said he 's seen police harassing individuals just outside his salon . He called the mayor 's comments racist , and that while he accepts his apology , he said Maturo ca n't easily be trusted . East Haven resident Carolina Borja added that police have also commonly stopped her Latino friends for questioning . It `` has to change , '' she said . Though Tuesday 's arrests and Maturo 's errant comment have likely blemished the reputation of this New Haven suburb , there have been changes since the Justice Department report , the mayor noted . An independent commission of community members , external consultants and former law enforcement officials has since been formed to adjust police patrol and complaint policies . The mayor cited a series of reforms , pointing to a revised East Haven police handbook -- the first update since 1972 . `` It was an outdated book , '' Maturo said . According to 2010 census data , East Haven has a population of some 29,000 people , with about 10.3 % identifying as Hispanic or Latino . Federal authorities , meanwhile , are asking the public for additional tips surrounding alleged discrimination and abuse , offering anonymity to those would-be tipsters concerned about their legal resident status . CNN 's Jason Carroll and Sheila Steffen in East Haven , Connecticut contributed to this report .
NEW : Joseph Maturo Jr. asks public to consider difficulties of arrested officers . NEW : East Haven mayor blamed stress for what he later described as a flippant comment . NEW : A restaurant manager says police routinely harassed Latino workers , customers . Four East Haven police officers were arrested for their alleged roles in abusing Latino residents .