by Christian Wade
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has reached a tentative contract with the state police union he says will improve trooper recruitment and retention.
Details of the tentative agreement, which must be approved by the unions rank and file membership, weren’t disclosed, but Lamont said the contract covered wages, benefits and working conditions.
Lamont said the four-year contract recognizes the “dedication, hard work, and sacrifice” of the state police and will help attract a new generation of troopers to the ranks.
“It is an investment in the future of public safety in our state by incentivizing the recruitment of top-quality candidates, as well as the retention of our current troopers,” he said in a statement.
Lamont noted that education, training, and professional development benefits are provided under the terms of the agreement, “while also recognizing the importance of work-life balance through annual health and wellness funding.”
Emergency Services and Public Protection commissioner James Rovella said the contract includes “significant investments” in recruitment and retention, and will provide benefits and wages that will “attract the best possible candidates while recognizing the sacrifices of the men and women of the Connecticut State Police.”
Todd Fedigan, president of the Connecticut State Police Union, said the union’s leadership believes the contract “recognizes the unique circumstances and dangers of our profession.” He praised Lamont for his “commitment of ensuring our members are recognized for their dedication and sacrifice to preserving public safety.”
Lamont has a rocky relationship with rank-and-file state troopers. In 2020, their union overwhelmingly voted “no confidence” in him over a new state policing reform law.
Lamont has dismissed claims the “policing accountability” law, passed in response to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in 2020, is driving recruits away.
The number of state troopers in Connecticut has fallen from more than 1,200 in 2009 to about 880, including a new class of two dozen officers sworn in in October, according to state data.
Meanwhile, a 2017 labor deal signed before Lamont came to office made it more attractive for state workers to retire. More than 5,000 workers took advantage of the new law.
To be sure, Connecticut isn’t the only state struggling from the lack of recruits to fill the ranks of police officers retiring or leaving the profession.
More than 86% of the nation’s city and town police departments are struggling to find new officers, according to the National Policing Institute.
Law enforcement groups say the political climate isn’t favorable toward police, which is a major factor in people leaving the profession or not wanting to get into it.
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Christian Wade is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Ned Lamont” by Office of Governor Ned Lamont. Background Photo “Connecticut State Police” by Connecticut State Police.
