Good evening, legislators of southeastern Connecticut,
I hope you are all staying safe and healthy.
I'm writing an article on where state senators and representatives in our coverage area stand on
various police accountability proposals/demands that have been floated lately. I developed
questions from reading the Police Accountability and Transparency Task Force draft
recommendations, petitions from activist groups, the Connecticut Senate Republican Caucus
Statement on Police Accountability Reforms, and news coverage of protests.
If you could please send me a response to these questions by Wednesday at 7 p.m., that would
be much appreciated. I’ll plan on sending a reminder email Tuesday afternoon, and if I don’t
hear from you by Thursday morning, I’ll give you a call.
1. Do you support each of the following? Where possible, please respond with ‘yes,’ ‘no,’
or ‘it depends,’ followed by an explanation for your response.
a. Legislation that would make it easier for municipalities to establish independent
civilian boards to review use-of-force complaints against police departments, or
other police accountability bodies
b. The creation of a public database of police complaints by department and officer,
broken down by status of the complaint
c. A mandate of body cameras for every police department in Connecticut
d. The addition of an independent inspector general in Connecticut
e. Allowing the public to have oversight of police union contracts
f. Removing school resource officers from schools
g. Restricting or ending Connecticut’s use of the 1033 Program (funnels surplus
military equipment to local law enforcement)
2. What are changes you would like to see made ASAP during a special session, and what
are policies you would like to see wait for a regular session and public hearings?
3. Do you think the money spent on police departments in Connecticut is too much, about
right, or not enough? If too much, where would you like to see funding reallocated? If not
enough, what would you like to see police departments spending more money on?
4. What do you think when you see phrases like “defund the police” or “abolish the police?”
5. Have you attended Black Lives Matter protests, and if so, which one(s)?
If you are dealing with a family emergency or there is another reason that you can’t reply to
these questions, please let me know. (Press aides I’ve copied: Please let me know if the
legislator(s) you represent can’t respond.)

Best wishes,

Erica Moser
Staff reporter, The Day
215-872-4647

 Norm Needleman
(Talked June 14)
Rallies – the best ones, the most organized and the best ones.... are the ones that are organized by
the high school kids, and they’re just doing an amazing job. They’re truly a generation that has
been born into the bias and the racism that many of us were born into. I grew up in a
neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York that was very segregated, and it was just not a
neighborhood that minorities were welcome in, and it was odd, because I’m Jewish, and it was a
Jewish and Italian neighborhood, and there was sort of an acceptance that Jews and Italians go
together wherever they go
It was in college that I actually wandered – not wandered, it was deliberate – took a black studies
class not realizing I was invading sacred space where people wanted a place to actually talk
about the issues that they were facing (he was a “long-haired hippie”)… My generation, you
were born biased, you were raised it, so at least by knowing it, you can work on
Of course, the rise in anti-Semitism is another form of ugliness that people hold onto in our
country and the world, but you can’t tell by looking at me. Well, maybe a little bit… but I don’t
wear it by the color my skin
I’m hoping that younger people, your generation, younger than you, are going to make the
difference. We thought we would, and we did, and then all of a sudden Reagan became president
and government became the problem
It’s honestly a hearts and mind problem. You can enact all the policies, you can deal with the
police, but if people don’t feel it in their hearts and minds, society won’t change…
a. Yes, of course I think there should be more accountability. I have a deep and abiding respect
for the job of policing. It’s a very difficult job, and we’ve screwed around with a lot of public
efforts to help in other areas, like homelessness and mental illness, so we have made police,
people who are frontline, interface with problems that they shouldn’t be involved with, and
that has created problems, but I think there’s got to be more accountability. Yes. I have
police that work for me in my job as first selectmen, and I work with them all the time. We
talk about this. We’re too small to have a civilian review board, per se. I don’t suffer that
lightly if there are any issues… when you ask about civilian review boards, those are
generally for larger municipalities, and way more than half of the municipalities in
Connecticut have resident troopers… so it’s a bit complicated in Connecticut, the way we
police… I’m a believer that you’re innocent until proven guilty, and that’s true across the
board, but we clearly need a way to keep police accountable
b. Yes, and no. Anybody who’s accused shouldn’t have their record besmirched by an
accusation, but I think what we need is a little more comprehensive approach to actual
finding of fault, and when people are repeat offenders of bad behavior, that should be known,
and in reality, I would encourage the police unions and police administrations to find
common ground on how to manage that properly, that everybody deserves the benefit of the

 c.

d.

e.

f.

doubt, whether it’s police or the people that they police, but on the other hand, if people are
found to be repeat offenders, yeah.
Essex does not have a police department. Essex has a resident trooper, and all state troopers
have a mandate for body cameras. We have police that are actually constables, and our cost
structure isn’t such that we can afford a lot of the trappings that go with a police department,
but if there were some granting options, yeah, I don’t think that’s a problem… bigger cost –
storage of the data… There’s got to be some incentives, support, to help small towns find
their way in there, but yeah, I think that that’s a good tool for accountability, and I know a lot
of police that don’t like it, but I also know a lot of police that do like it, because it prevents
police from falsely accusing them
I think properly empowered, that’s a good idea. It’s similar to having auditors that audit
public-private partnerships and statement of public auditors… I think once you start creating
that, it’s going to have a lot more nuance, meaning and a lot more jobs than just police….
Most larger police departments have internal affairs groups within police departments, and
none of the other police really like them, because they’re the ones doing the jobs of being the
cop’s cop… I need to know the specifics and the focus of that, if it’s just police or if it’s
every department in the state government, then you’re creating a whole new bureaucracy
around it… We have the Office of State Ethics, we have the accountants that do the audits, so
it would depend on the scope, but it’s an idea worth discussing… We have a problem, right?
Nobody really knows what the problem actually is. We see symptoms of the problem.
Nobody, to me, has defined the broad problem yet. We know there’s bias and racism. We
know there’s an inappropriate use of force at times. We know we’ve created a more
militarized police department at some times than we should have… Until you really identify
the problem, you can’t identify solutions, so I think we’re looking for solutions to a problem
that we haven’t fully identified yet. Some of the symptoms are incidents…We need to solve
racism, we need to solve the violence against people of color… We need to find big solutions
in the moment. We certainly need to address the issues of how policing is done from a racial
point of view, which is not good, and more needs to be done in that area… It was a problem
when I had a ponytail down my back and drove a red Volkswagen in the 70s. I got pulled
over all the time and tossed and searched and you name it. I wasn’t beaten, which is where it
gets elevated based on race.
I don’t know how that would work. Again, like I negotiate the police union contract… I have
three full-time, three part-time, three of them are in a union… I don’t need the public to
negotiate a town labor contract. I don’t think that that would work. I have three bargaining
units…. I’m not sure what that means to have the public involved in negotiating those
contracts in Connecticut… The contracts are negotiated between the employer and the
employee
First of all, not every school has a resource officer. Resource officers became sort of the
catch word after all the school shootings, so there was a major effort for school boards to be
able to hire resource officers, and I wouldn’t, in a wholesale way, get rid of them, because
we’ve had too many school shootings, and I don’t know if we have enough data yet to say
that they actually impacted whether there’s a school shooting or not, that they’re a deterrent,
but the genesis behind resource officers, in a lot of communities, not all of them… You talk

 about inner-city police that are in the schools in the cities, and then you have resource
officers in more suburban and rural areas to protect the kids, and in some ways, if you have a
good resource officer, it’s a good way for kids to interact with police. My experience is
limited. I have not been in a school, as a student, where there was a cop all the time… It’s
another tough issue, and I tend to think that those issues should best be left to local school
boards to make those decisions, because each one is a nuanced reason why they want them…
I wouldn’t outright ban them
g. Yes, I do. I think each level of policing might need more sophisticated equipment. I don’t
think local police departments should be driving around with armored personnel carriers.
THE state police probably need a little different level of machinery than Essex…. I think
small towns getting surplus military equipment only creates the sense of a militarized police
department, and I think that has created huge problems within the communities that they
police, so I think we should really stop that.

I think that there are things in the nature of a special session that make a big agenda complicated,
and I’m not advocating or not advocating to have a big agenda, but there are practical limitations
to what you can do, and usually, I’m not the most knowledgeable guy in this, because I haven’t
been in the General Assembly for a long time, and the complication is time, and everybody in the
middle of an election season… When you have time constraints and things get partisan, they can
get talked to death… If I was writing the playbook on this, I would be focusing right now on
police training. I know a little bit about this. We have several academies, police academies, in the
state of Connecticut. A few of the cities have their own, and then all of the municipal officers go
to one post training … I think we significantly need to enhance that training, so I think that the
psychological evaluation that would be officers go through needs to be significantly enhanced
and made more rigorous. I think on some level you need to find out if people have inherent anger
problems or inherent bias against the people they may be policing… I think there are ways to
prod through questioning to find out if people have this… I don’t even know if you need
legislation for this – to mandate enhanced training, and again, significantly more rigorous of
psychological exam, but the training should be bias training and de-escalation training and
appropriate use of force training. I think there’s a lot that we can do to make this better than what
we currently teach our officers now, and in addition to all of those things, I think instead of doing
it once while you’re in the academy, I think it needs to be done on a regular basis, so if you have
to re-certify on a firearm every year or two, you should recertify how you to deal with people
every year or two… You think about the MeToo movement, things people got away with saying
the day before the MeToo movement and the day after, people gotta keep up with the times…. I
think the police officers I have are really excellent, and they work really hard to work within the
community to police fairly. They are there to be of service to the community and not to “police”
the community… I think that people that work for me and most of the people that I know, and I
know a lot of police, are there to work within their community. They come within our
communities, they are here to help us, protect us, and it’s a tough job, and I’m afraid that one of
the byproducts of all this is we’re going to find it harder to find qualified people to do all this
work… Police – they need to be given the benefit of the doubt. There cannot be the aggressive
police tactics I’ve witnessed, I’ve seen on film… by the same token, a lot of hardworking people
out there, who take the job of protecting me and you very seriously, and they also need to be

 given the benefit of the doubt… There’s a lot of violence against police officers that we don’t
talk about, so I worry about the people who work for me… It’s a very tough thing for me,
because I’m not a cop, and I know I never would’ve wanted to have been a cop, and one of the
things people keep talking about is the defunding issue, and I heard one of my colleagues,
Senator Winfield talked about that, that’s a phrase, but the reality is police should not be doing
some of the jobs they’re doing, and they’re only doing them because over many, many years, we
have defunded many other social service agencies… They’re not counselors, they’re not
therapists, they don’t know how to deal with people with mental illness… Instead of being the
last line of defense for some of those things, they’re frontline, and that’s just not fair, so I’d like
to see proper funding for the police departments and proper funding for all those other agencies
to do the job that we don’t want the police to be having to do
I don’t know every budget. I know the public safety budget at the state level is probably
appropriate. Public safety is not only the state police; it’s also department of emergency
management… Many of them don’t even want to work this much overtime, and because of a
lack of people and budget reasons over many years… As far as what is the right amount of
policing, it is community by community. I think Essex has hit a sweet spot with the coverage that
we have, days and nights. I think other municipalities might have a few too many… I don’t think
that the state police are overfunded at all… I know towns around here that don’t even have a
resident trooper, they have no police services
I’m not a steady habits guy. I am and I’m not. I think that we should be constantly reassessing a
lot of things, and policing is certainly one of them, so if, in a community, and conceptually, if
things have gotten skewed more from protecting the public to policing the public, I think those
things need to be rethought, and I’m not an anarchist; I don’t believe you have to tear everything
down to fix things. I think you need the common will to make significant changes, and in the
land of steady habits it will be over time, but I think that those things can happen, so when I
listen to people who are angry and frustrated, I certainly understand why, and I understand that
they’re looking for solutions. I’ve been elected to find solutions. I think that I always go into
situations, and for me, my ears perk up when someone says, “Well that’s just the way we’ve
always done it.” That’s when it’s ripe for change. It’s never a good enough answer. We have to
be willing to challenge ourselves and challenge how we do things…. As public officials, we have
to work really hard, not get set in our ways and say, well that’s just the way we’ve always done
it. So where you identify problems, you need to come up with solutions. And even where you
don’t identify problems, you still need to rethink things, and I’ve always done that. Sometimes
you need to shake the tree, drop some apples… We probably need to shake the tree a little bit…
I’m pretty conservative financially… but I think some problems do require money… and some
of the things we’ve done to try to save money have backfired on us… we’ve made some big
mistakes the past 35 years… I’m that guy that says government is not the solution to every
problem, but government is the solution or can be a solution to many problems, so where is that
balance? And my heart breaks when I think we just didn’t continue to make the progress, but it’s
probably human nature that the pendulum swings back and forth, but unfortunately when it
swings back, it kills people, and that’s just not acceptable
I went to two in Old Saybrook, one in Clinton, today we were in Lyme, Colchester and Portland.
I know there’s another one coming up in Old Saybrook, and I know there’s another one coming

 up in East Hampton, and I will try to get both of those if I can…. There are so many people
standing up and saying, it’s time for a change, and it’s not just one party. It’s dominated by
young people, and organized by young people mostly, and there are amazing programs, the
people that have spoken, the level of passion I hear from young people, may be the only
encouraging thing I feel lately, with our national political scene and the inability to find common
ground… When I see young people standing up there and saying now is the time, I’m hopeful.
This pandemic, it was probably what everybody needed to see how many people don’t have an
extra week’s worth of money… If the government hadn’t reacted, they would be living in their
cars

 Anthony Nolan
(Replied June 15)
Do you support each of the following? Where possible, please respond with ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ or ‘it
depends,’ followed by an explanation for your response.
Legislation that would make it easier for municipalities to establish independent civilian boards
to review use-of-force complaints against police departments, or other police accountability
bodies
ANSWER: YES I WILL SUPPORT
The creation of a public database of police complaints by department and officer, broken down
by status of the complaint
ANSWER: YES I will support
A mandate of body cameras for every police department in Connecticut
ANSWER: Yes I will support
The addition of an independent inspector general in Connecticut
ANSWER : Yes I will support
Allowing the public to have oversight of police union contracts
ANSWER: Input not oversight
Removing school resource officers from schools
ANSWER: I believe with the correctly trained officer this is important to close the gap in
building relationships between youth and Law Enforcement.
Restricting or ending Connecticut’s use of the 1033 Program (funnels surplus military equipment
to local law enforcement)
ANSWER: I agree
What are changes you would like to see made ASAP during a special session, and what are
policies you would like to see wait for a regular session and public hearings?
ANSWER : Incase you didn't see this on my State Rep Page. I will be drafting bill language and
or letters to the chair of committee the following for police accountability bill.
We can get ahead of our State and be the leader if New London Pushes for some items below
that can be initiated by Municipality. I will present other recommendations soon as possible.

 USE OF FORCE DEFINITION CHANGE:
Modify the conditions under which a police officer can legally use deadly force from times when
it’s “reasonable’’ to when it’s “NECESSARY.’’ (Federal Discussion)
This is to encourage de-escalation and improve crisis-intervention methods – attempts to induce
greater restraint from officers, likely making it a little stronger when making decisions when it
comes to force. This will help change police culture and extend the downward trend in the
number of fatalities and force across all levels at the hands of officers.
MANDATE FOR STAFF CHANGE:
Mandate Police Departments to have a Mental Health Professionals and Social worker
Proffesional on staff. This eliminates Police having to multi task masking into professions they
are not professionals in. Allows police to concentrate on true police work.
BAN OF CHOKE HOLDS
Removing any police related tactic that Involves placing an instrument or applying physical
pressure were access to breathing is cut off.
BADGE/NAME/ID# REQUIREMENT :
Mandated Requirement for name badge and id# to be displayed on all top layer uniforms worn
by all certified CT Law Enforcement Officers
INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT BOARD FOR THE INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION
OF POLICE :
Remove internal Affairs Divisions within Municipal Police Departments.
For the reason that Police Departments should not Police own membership; this will Increase
police accountability.
Mandate independent prosecutor after any instance of serious police violence, not only
encounters that ultimately prove fatal.
OR - The Attorney General is to supersede the local county prosecutor, utilizing existing
suppression authority, and conduct, personally or by a designated deputy or assistant attorney
general, any investigation, criminal action or proceeding concerning the incident.
PROFFESIONAL LICENSING BOARD FOR POLICE:
Need for a professional licensing board for policing, issuance of professional police licenses that
can be revoked by the state.
Formulate ways states can issue these licenses and adopt systems that would decertify officers
after instances of serious misconduct. Without such a system in place, an officer could be fired in
one department and easily rehired by another nearby.
MANDATED REPORTING:We need to update the mandate on all stops by police not only for
motor vehicle but also reporting for pedestrian/foot traffic stops. Combine a yellow type data
card and the Alvin Penn Act Card in triplicate form w/carbon copy tear off in which the person
stopped receives a copy. This shall include all stop contact information along with a Penn Act

 Card. Additional space for signature/contact # of person stopped if no infraction or summons is
given. This gives Admin chance to followup for any concerns or follow-up.
MANDATE DUTY TO INTERVENE:
Officers shall intervene if they observe a fellow Law Enforcement Officer engage in any form of
excessive force and or misconduct. This shall be done by shielding accused using physical body
or using a code word mandated for offending officer to release and or back off immediately.
WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION:
Create an Act for if an agency authorities, or staff take (or threaten to take) retaliatory personnel
action against any employee or applicant because of disclosure of information by that employee
or applicant
Do you think the money spent on police departments in Connecticut is too much, about right, or
not enough? If too much, where would you like to see funding reallocated? If not enough, what
would you like to see police departments spending more money on?

ANSWER: This depends on Individual Police Department. It's difficult to lump all departments
together because each community has different needs. As far a New London My opinion has
always been hire the correct number of staff to cut the overtime budget in order to reallocate
funds to hiring Public Work employees, Education or pay off debt
.
What do you think when you see phrases like “defund the police” or “abolish the police?”
ANSWER: I think this shows how angry people are. I also think reallocation vs. defunding.
Have you attended Black Lives Matter protests, and if so, which one(s)?
ANSWER: Yes, New London, Hartford, Groton, New Haven.

 Response from Democrats
June 17, 2020
“Police Accountability in the Era of George Floyd”
The Democratic members of Connecticut’s southeastern legislative delegation were recently asked by The
Day for our opinions on a variety of police accountability matters that are now the subject of debates at
the local, state, regional, and national levels.
We spoke with activists, local elected officials, our House and Senate colleagues, police officers, and union
representatives. We are at a unique moment in our nation’s history that requires definitive action, and
we believe the following public policy changes are the actions Connecticut needs to begin to address the
historic problem of racial inequities in America, especially with regard to law enforcement interactions.
We endorse these proposals in no particular order:
•

•
•

•
•
•

•

•
•

De-Escalation: Require improved de-escalation and crisis-intervention methods to induce greater
restraint when it comes to use of force. We need to start a downward trend in the number of
fatalities, and the use of force across all levels, at the hands of police officers. We believe that
social workers and mental health professionals should be a part of deployment teams to facilitate
this.
Use of force definition change: Modify the conditions under which a police officer can legally use
deadly force, from times when it is “reasonable’’ to when it is “necessary.’’
Require staff changes: Require police departments to have mental health professionals and social
workers on staff. Departments near each other would be able to regionalize these professions
and share costs.
Ban of choke holds: Remove any police-related tactic that involves placing an instrument on, or
applying physical pressure to, areas where breathing is cut off.
Badge/Name Tag/ID# Requirement: Require a name badge and identification number to be
displayed on all top-layer uniforms worn by all certified law enforcement officers.
Independent Oversight Board for the investigations and prosecutions of police: Require an
Inspector General or designee to provide oversight of any instance of serious police violence -and not only in encounters that ultimately prove fatal.
Professional Licensing Board for Police: Require a professional licensing board for the issuance of
professional police licenses that can be revoked by this board. This would be similar to the
professional licensing boards for doctors and lawyers that are already in existence. This board
would also maintain a database on confirmed complaints against officers.
Require Reporting: Update the reporting requirement to include not only motor vehicle stops, but
also reporting for pedestrian/foot traffic stops.
Require a Duty to Intervene: Officers must intervene if they observe a fellow law enforcement
officer engage in any form of excessive use of force and or misconduct.

 •

•
•
•

Training: All law enforcement training centers that certify Connecticut police officers must include
a state-certified, cross-cultural training program to provide training on implicit bias,
microaggression, race, and racism.
Purchasing Military Equipment: Restrict local police departments from participating in the 1033
program.
School Resource Officers: While this is mostly a local school board issue and decision, we
encourage towns to consider additional social workers in schools.
Body Cameras, Dashboard Cameras: Require both body cameras and dashboard cameras on all
law enforcement officers and in all law enforcement vehicles.

Over the past several weeks, each of us has attended a peaceful rally, taken part in a community
discussion, or talked with activists for racial justice. These are the changes were heard from the people
out on the town greens across eastern Connecticut. We endorse these measures, and we look forward
to seeing them enacted into law in either the summer special session or the legislative session to follow.

______________________________
Catherine A. Osten
State Senator, 19th District

______________________________
Anthony Nolan
State Representative,

Norm Needleman
State Senator, 33rd District

Kevin Ryan
State Representative, 139th District

______________________________
Joe DelaCruz
State Representative, 41st District

______________________________
Emmett Riley
State Representative, 46th District

______________________________
Chris Conley
State Representative, 40th District

______________________________
Kate Rotella
State Representative, 43rd District

______________________________
Brian Smith
State Representative, 48th District

 Cathy Osten
(Sent June 17)
Sen. Osten's responses to The Day

1.
Do you support each of the following? Where possible, please respond with ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ or ‘it
depends,’ followed by an explanation for your response.
a.
YES -- Legislation that would make it easier for municipalities to establish independent civilian
boards to review use-of-force complaints against police departments, or other police accountability
bodies
b.
YES -- The creation of a public database of police complaints by department and officer, broken
down by status of the complaint
c.

YES -- A mandate of body cameras for every police department in Connecticut

d.

YES -- The addition of an independent inspector general in Connecticut

e.
NO -- Allowing the public to have oversight of police union contracts. Union contracts should
continue to be negotiated between the union and town officials, though there needs to be stronger
language allowing for the termination of some police officers
f.
NO -- Removing school resource officers from schools. SRO’s serve a valuable function and can
be a means of increasing positive contact at an early age with police officers.
g.
YES -- Restricting or ending Connecticut’s use of the 1033 Program (funnels surplus military
equipment to local law enforcement)

2.
What are changes you would like to see made ASAP during a special session, and what are
policies you would like to see wait for a regular session and public hearings?

ASAP:
1. Body Cameras, Dashboard Cameras: Require both body cameras and dashboard cameras on all
officers and in all vehicles.
2. Ban of choke holds: Removing any police related tactics that involves placing an instrument or
applying physical pressure were access to breathing is cut off.
3. Use of force definition change: Modify the conditions under which a police officer can legally use
deadly force from times when it is “reasonable’’ to when it is “necessary.’’

 4. Required Reporting: Update the requirement on all stops by police -- not only for motor vehicles, but
also reporting for pedestrian/foot traffic stops.
5. Duty to Intervene: Officers shall intervene if they observe a fellow law enforcement officer engage in
any form of excessive force and or misconduct.

COULD WAIT:
•
•
•

Badge/Name Tag/ID# Requirement: Require a name badge and id# to be displayed on all top
layer uniforms worn by all certified CT Law Enforcement Officers
Independent oversight Board for the investigations and prosecutions of police
Professional Licensing Board for Police

3.
Do you think the money spent on police departments in Connecticut is too much, about right,
or not enough? If too much, where would you like to see funding reallocated? If not enough, what
would you like to see police departments spending more money on?
I think the State Police are horribly underfunded as to staffing levels, and that must change immediately,
especially for the citizens here in eastern Connecticut, who rely more heavily on state police than they do
for town police departments. This is an issue I have been fighting for years. Police departments need to
invest more in body cameras and video storage, more on de-escalation training, and perhaps the hiring
of departmental psychologists and/or social workers to help officers deal with the stress of their jobs.

4.

What do you think when you see phrases like “defund the police” or “abolish the police?”

I think those phrases mean that the public wants to see police departments reconfigured as to their
spending priorities, and as to their mission of public service: more spending on mental health, deescalation and racial awareness training, less spending on arms and munitions and armored vehicles;
and a reimagination of local police departments as less an extension of the military and military-style
tactics, and more as a social force for good in a community, with an understanding of that community’s
challenges and needs.

5.

Have you attended Black Lives Matter protests, and if so, which one(s)?

To date, I have attended 10 racial justice rallies since May 29th, beginning at the State Capitol in Hartford
and then continuing in Norwich (several), Lebanon, Ledyard, Hebron and Montville. I will be attending
other rallies in the near future as they are scheduled.

 Response from Republicans
June 18, 2020

House and Senate Republicans from SECT Support Public
Safety Reforms
HARTFORD – House and Senate Republicans from southeastern Connecticut are committed to
participating in bipartisan talks that directly address excessive force and racial disparities in
policing, and to offering reform-focused solutions to help ensure that reprehensible police
conduct like the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis never happens in Connecticut.
A reasoned and speedy response is necessary to the recent acts of violence by law enforcement
against our fellow citizens. Connecticut must continue to build a culture of equity,
accountability and transparency in policing in order to enhance the public’s safety. House and
Senate Republicans from SECT stated, “As lawmakers, we need to carefully review how our laws
affect those who interact with the police, and correct any weaknesses that exist in law
enforcement policies. There are many strong proposals on the table that warrant careful
analysis and a full discussion with everyone affected. Republicans are committed to working
with all stakeholders as we work to ensure a safe, fair, and equitable Connecticut.”

We are very grateful to the Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council for so quickly
enacting the following long-needed reforms: a new use of force policy that includes a clear use
of force matrix; a requirement that officers deploy de-escalation/calming strategies and/or
verbal warnings when feasible; a prohibition against the intentional use of a chokehold; and a
requirement that any officer who observes or has knowledge of unreasonable excessive use of
force by another officer must report it and will not be subject to retaliation for having done so.
These reforms will do much to protect our communities from the type of heinous conduct and
events seen in Minneapolis.

The southeastern Connecticut Republican delegation cannot support proposals that defund
police departments; crippling their law enforcement operations is not a viable way to enhance
public safety or address the problems of systemic racism. Instead, increasing resources which
focus on mental health training, more education on de-escalation techniques, and performing
psychological evaluations prior to recertification should be discussed during part of bipartisan
efforts to build more confidence and accountability in our police departments.

 -2In the coming weeks, House and Senate Republicans from southeastern Connecticut will meet
with the public safety accountability board that was established last year, community groups,
police, civic leaders, and members of the public from across the state to identify racial, ethnic,
societal disparities in Connecticut’s policing policies and to develop affirmative legislative
proposals to eliminate them from our state.

“As we approach the day that we mark the birth of America, our responsibility to respond as
policy makers is ever more apparent. As our nation mourns and speaks out, we in turn need to
act responsibly and do what we can to make Connecticut as safe as possible for all its citizens.’’

-30-

 Emmett Riley
(Sent June 18)
Here are my answers.
1
a. Yes, I would support legislation that makes it easier for municipalities to create
independent civilian review boards. To me the two key words are “easier and
independent.”
b. Yes, the creation of this data base would be a correct step.
c. Yes, I have voted in favor in the past for body cameras and would do so again.
d. Yes, the word ‘independent” will be an important piece of any legislation going
forward.
e. No, it should be a decision made by the two parties with a specific emphasis on
improved language for the ability to terminate for cause, the loss of pension benefits
and the inability to work as an officer in the state again.
f. No, SRO’s should be a decision of the local municipality.
g. Yes, the program should be halted.
2 . Banning choke hold and placing pressure on access to breathing with physical force of any
kind, greater de-escalation training, body/dash cameras, visible identification on all clothing,
better reporting on all interactions with the public, required intervention when one officer
witnesses another in misconduct, change the definition of “reasonable “to “when necessary” in
deadly force situations, and an independent oversight and licensing board. I do not believe
anything can wait.
3. I believe there should be a better emphasis on de-escalation methods, metal health counseling,
cultural training for officers, body/dash cameras. The CT State Police have been understaffed
and underfunded for years, which has resulted in trooper mental and physical exhaustion and
excessive overtime.
4. Unfortunately I see anger. This is not something that happened overnight. There needs to be
more community policing “feet on the street” to develop better relationships and familiarity with
the public in general which will hopefully result in better communication.
5. Yes, Norwich.
Of note, please recognize note not a single member of the Republican House Caucus voted in
favor of SB 308, a police accountability bill from last year.

 Christine Conley
(Sent June 18)
1.
Do you support each of the following? Where possible, please respond with ‘yes,’
‘no,’ or ‘it depends,’ followed by an explanation for your response.
a.
YES -- Legislation that would make it easier for municipalities to establish independent
civilian boards to review use-of-force complaints against police departments, or other police
accountability bodies
b.
YES -- The creation of a public database of police complaints by department and officer,
broken down by status of the complaint
c.
YES -- A mandate of body cameras for every police department in Connecticut
d.
YES -- The addition of an independent inspector general in Connecticut
e.
Publicly elected representatives of town/city should have input -- Allowing the public to
have oversight of police union contracts. Union contracts should continue to be negotiated
between the union and town officials, though there needs to be stronger language allowing for
the termination of some police officers
f.
NO -- Removing school resource officers from schools. SRO’s serve a valuable function
and can be a means of increasing positive contact at an early age with police officers.
g.
YES -- Restricting or ending Connecticut’s use of the 1033 Program (funnels surplus
military equipment to local law enforcement)
2.
What are changes you would like to see made ASAP during a special session, and
what are policies you would like to see wait for a regular session and public hearings?

•

•
•

•
•
•

De-Escalation: Require improved de-escalation and crisis-intervention methods to
induce greater restraint when it comes to use of force. We need to start a downward
trend in the number of fatalities, and the use of force across all levels, at the hands of
police officers. We believe that social workers and mental health professionals should
be a part of deployment teams to facilitate this.
Use of force definition change: Modify the conditions under which a police officer can
legally use deadly force, from times when it is “reasonable’’ to when it is “necessary.’’
Require staff changes: Require police departments to have mental health professionals
and social workers on staff. Departments near each other would be able to regionalize
these professions and share costs.
Ban of choke holds: Remove any police-related tactic that involves placing an
instrument on, or applying physical pressure to, areas where breathing is cut off.
Badge/Name Tag/ID# Requirement: Require a name badge and identification number
to be displayed on all top-layer uniforms worn by all certified law enforcement officers.
Independent Oversight Board for the investigations and prosecutions of police: Require
an Inspector General or designee to provide oversight of any instance of serious police
violence -- and not only in encounters that ultimately prove fatal.

 •

•
•
•

•
•
•

Professional Licensing Board for Police: Require a professional licensing board for the
issuance of professional police licenses that can be revoked by this board. This would be
similar to the professional licensing boards for doctors and lawyers that are already in
existence. This board would also maintain a database on confirmed complaints against
officers.
Require Reporting: Update the reporting requirement to include not only motor vehicle
stops, but also reporting for pedestrian/foot traffic stops.
Require a Duty to Intervene: Officers must intervene if they observe a fellow law
enforcement officer engage in any form of excessive use of force and or misconduct.
Training: All law enforcement training centers that certify Connecticut police officers
must include a state-certified, cross-cultural training program to provide training on
implicit bias, microaggression, race, and racism.
Purchasing Military Equipment: Restrict local police departments from participating in
the 1033 program.
School Resource Officers: While this is mostly a local school board issue and decision,
we encourage towns to consider additional social workers in schools.
Body Cameras, Dashboard Cameras: Require both body cameras and dashboard
cameras on all law enforcement officers and in all law enforcement vehicles.

3.
Do you think the money spent on police departments in Connecticut is too much,
about right, or not enough? If too much, where would you like to see funding reallocated? If
not enough, what would you like to see police departments spending more money on?
I think the State Police is underfunded. While the Towns I represent have their own
departments, many other towns in eastern Connecticut, who rely more heavily on state police.
Understaffed shifts is a safety issue. Police department in Groton and Ledyard do have lean
budgets but there is a need for additional investment in body cameras, dashboard cameras and
video storage, de-escalation training, and investment departmental psychologists and/or social
workers to help residents and officers deal with issues that arise.
4.
What do you think when you see phrases like “defund the police” or “abolish the
police?”
I think those phrases mean that the public is angry with what they see and hear. Folks want
police departments and other services reconfigured as to their spending priorities, and as to
their mission of public service: more spending on community needs, mental health, education,
and less spending on arms and munitions and armored vehicles military-style tactics. Each
community has different needs and many of those needs have been underfunded in municipal
and state budgets. The public wants community needs to be prioritized.
5.
Have you attended Black Lives Matter protests, and if so, which one(s)?
I have attended several community discussions and events and assisted in the planning of public
events. We held a community discussion about race on virtual town hall last week. I have taken
part in meetings and discussions about proposed Police Accountability bill with other
representatives, senators and community leaders.

 Brian Smith
(Sent June 18)
Responses to The Day
Submitted by
Representative Brian Smith, 48th House District
(Colchester, Lebanon, Windham, and Mansfield)
1.
Do you support each of the following? Where possible, please respond with ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ or
‘it depends,’ followed by an explanation for your response.
a.
Legislation that would make it easier for municipalities to establish independent civilian boards to
review use-of-force complaints against police departments, or other police accountability bodies – Yes.
b.
The creation of a public database of police complaints by department and officer, broken down by
status of the complaint – Yes.
c.

A mandate of body cameras for every police department in Connecticut – Yes.

d.

The addition of an independent inspector general in Connecticut – Yes.

e.
Allowing the public to have oversight of police union contracts. - No. Municipal union contracts,
like all union contracts, are private agreements employers (in this instance municipalities) and unions.
However, municipalities must negotiate for stronger language, which would address situations where
police officers could be terminated.
f.
Removing school resource officers from schools. – It depends. I believe that every situation is
different and local school boards should retain the right to decide for themselves. In many, but perhaps
not all, situations SRO’s can provide a valuable function as a way to create positive relations and
experiences with police officers for children at an early age.
g.
Restricting or ending Connecticut’s use of the 1033 Program (funnels surplus military equipment
to local law enforcement) - Yes
2.
What are changes you would like to see made ASAP during a special session, and what
are policies you would like to see wait for a regular session and public hearings?
ASAP:
•
•
•
•
•

Body Cameras, Dashboard Cameras: Require both body cameras and dashboard cameras on all
officers and in all vehicles at all times, except when a call involves highly sensitive or personal
trauma (as in the case of rape or child molestation).
Ban of choke holds: We should eliminate any tactics that involve the restriction or cutting off of a
person's ability to breath, whether by mechanical means or the application of physical pressure.
Use of force definition change: The conditions under which a police officer can legally use deadly
force should be modified so as to change the standard from times when it is “reasonable" to when
it is "necessary" to use deadly force.
Required Reporting: The current requirement for reporting on motor vehicle stops should be
updated to also require reporting for pedestrian/foot traffic stops.
Duty to Intervene: It should be made explicitly clear that all officers shall have a duty to intervene
if they observe a fellow law enforcement officer engage in any form of excessive force and/or
misconduct.

Things That Could Wait:

 •
•
•

Badge/Name Tag/ID# Requirement: Require a name badge and id# to be displayed on all top
layer uniforms worn by all certified CT Law Enforcement Officers
Independent oversight Board for the investigations and prosecutions of police
Professional Licensing Board for Police

3.
Do you think the money spent on police departments in Connecticut is too much, about
right, or not enough? If too much, where would you like to see funding reallocated? If not enough,
what would you like to see police departments spending more money on?
I believe that police, like many areas of government service, are under-resourced. The State Police have
been understaffed for long time and the same is true of many of our area towns. In both cases, these are
budgeting issues where, sadly, government officials are often called on to make difficult choices of where
to allocate limited revenues. This is especially true in eastern Connecticut, where many municipalities rely
more on state police than their own local police departments. Chronic budget shortages keep salaries low
and lead to wealthier towns "poaching" officers from less affluent neighbors, thus leaving the latter always
chasing a full force and losing experienced officers at a higher rate. Police departments need better, more
stable funding to invest in body cameras and expand video storage capacity; to increase de-escalation
training, including regular refresher training, and; to bring in psychologists and/or social workers, through
regional cost-sharing or direct hiring, to help officers deal with the stress of their jobs.
4.

What do you think when you see phrases like “defund the police” or “abolish the police?”

I believe at their heart, these phrases are a call to mean that the public wants to see reinvent policing by
restructuring spending priorities and mission of public service, with the goal of putting more spending into
mental health, de-escalation and racial awareness training, and less spending on arms, munitions and
military-style vehicles. This is intended to be a reimagining of what a local police department should look
like and act as, with less focus on being an extension of the military with military-style tactics, and more
focus on being a force for social good in a community, with an understanding of that community’s
challenges and needs.
5.

Have you attended Black Lives Matter protests, and if so, which one(s)?

Yes. I have attended all in my District that I have heard about and been able to attend. To date, I have
attended four racial justice rallies: on May 29th at the State Capitol, on June 5th in both Colchester and
Windham, where I had the opportunity to speak at both, and on June 14 th in Mansfield. I am committed to
attending additional rallies in the future as I learn about them and my schedule allows.