Connecticut Senate Republicans this week are seeking consideration of proposals they made last autumn to mitigate the Constitution State’s crime problem.
On Wednesday, the Connecticut General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee will convene virtually to consider GOP legislation to aid police recruitment, modernize law-enforcement data gathering and promote “explorer” programs to foster relationships between juveniles and law-enforcement officers.
The bill under initial consideration would establish a pilot program connecting local police departments with universities to aid students aspiring to work in public safety. The legislation would furthermore let high school students pursue elective law enforcement-related coursework. It would also provide grants for police departments working on improving data gathering for intelligence purposes.
The proposal senators will discuss Wednesday is one of several components to an overall anti-crime policy package that Republican senators outlined in an October 2021 report. Changes being sought apart from the police legislation include requiring 24-hour GPS monitoring for reoffending violent juveniles as they await trial for prior offenses and ensuring that particularly heinous crimes are tried in adult court.
In their report, the Connecticut Senate Republican Caucus lamented that their state’s cities are experiencing their worst violent-crime surges in many years. The report notes that violent attacks have driven up the incidence of trauma cases so extremely that the Red Cross isn’t receiving enough blood donations to keep up.
“We need to involve police, community leaders, prosecutors and youth advocates to shape the best policies,” the report stated. “We need to empower residents to make decisions about how to invest in their communities and create opportunity. We need to open communication and empower community members to be part of the solution.”
The Judiciary Committee will conduct online hearings into other elements of the Senate GOP’s criminal-justice proposal on Thursday at noon and next Monday at 10 a.m.
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Bradley Vasoli is managing editor of The Connecticut Star. Follow Brad on Twitter at @BVasoli. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Connecticut State Capitol” by Shah Ronak S. CC BY-SA 4.0.
