THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
LawCrossing Feature
Connecticut Passes Law to Check “Bullies with Badges” On Monday, following the earlier arrest of four East Haven police officers for targeting and harassing people of Hispanic origin, the state legislature of Connecticut passed a bill to prevent racial profiling. The new law is named “An Act Concerning Traffic Stop Information” (SB364), and it mandates local and state law agencies adopt policies preventing racial profiling.
05/08/12
a real problem that deserves a real solution, and my administration is committed to carrying out the spirit and letter of this law.”
The AACTSI asks agencies to form “written policy that prohibits the stopping, detention or search of any person when such action is solely motivated by
Once the law comes into effect, police would have to
considerations of race, color, ethnicity, age, gender or
offer citizens they stop a “standardized form” duly
sexual orientation, and the action would constitute a
filled out by the police and containing details about the
violation of the civil rights of the person.”
driver and the case’s circumstances. Anyone who feels that he or she is targeted due to their color, ethnicity,
The law also requires agencies to define reporting
race, gender or sexual orientation would be allowed to
requirements for police conducting traffic stops
file a complaint, which would have to be reviewed by
and creates a system for citizen complaints. State
the local police and then passed on to a state agency.
authorities would also have greater power to collect and assess pertinent data from municipal departments
The case of the four indicted policemen which
under the new law.
apparently moved lawmakers to formulate the new law, mentioned that the four had conspired to “injure,
The law was passed in the state Senate on April
oppress, threaten and intimidate various members
19, but the final passage of the bill at the House of
of the East Haven community.” Court records show
Representatives occurred on Monday.
that the former police personnel also tried to block a police commission enquiry into the matter and
Gov. Dannel Malloy, who is expected to sign the law
manipulated local union leaders to intimidate municipal
said, “I will continue to insist that every effort is taken
investigators.
to protect individual rights in every community and that racial profiling is eliminated.” In a statement issued
Janice Fedarcyk, assistant FBI director in New York
on Monday, Malloy said on racial profiling that “This is
said, “They behaved like bullies with badges.”
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