IJ

During the meeting, Democratic Sen. Gary Winfield, co-chair of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee and a member of the racial profiling project’s advisory board, shared concerns about officials trying to conclude that what happened in 2018 had a significant impact on the numbers. “We’re still involved in doing the analysis of what happened in 2018, so I don’t think that’s a large enough data set to make that statement,” Winfield said. While state police may be right about the decline, “I’m often concerned about that, because when the public hears those things, when it doesn’t necessarily turn out to be that later, we’ve said something one way or the other.”

Ken Barone, one of the report’s primary authors, noted how after the four officers were investigated, falsified reports in their cohort, identified as Troop E, “disappeared overnight.”

“Intervention, investigation into four troopers, everybody else must have gotten the word,” Barone said. “That wasn’t necessarily the case in troops C, K, or F. I do think some of that is related to the intervention on the part of the state police at the time, but certainly the data tells us that it wasn’t occurring equally.”

In a statement after the meeting, Claudine Constant, public policy and advocacy director of the ACLU of Connecticut, described the audit’s findings as “breathtaking disrespect” for the state’s racial profiling prohibition law and its goal of reducing systemic racism in policing.

“Police cannot police themselves,” Constant said in the statement. “We urge swift and transparent accountability for all individual Connecticut State Police employees who falsified traffic stop records, and this report also requires system-wide accountability for the Connecticut State Police.”

The audit comes to light nearly a year after Hearst Connecticut Media Group reported that four state troopers in Montville’s Troop E Timothy Bentley, Noah Gouveia, Kevin Moore and Daniel Richter fabricated hundreds of traffic stop tickets for better assignments, pay increases, promotions and specialty vehicles.

While Troop E was the focus of the State Police’s internal investigations, it had the fifth-largest number of overreported records, according to the report.

Moore and Richter received 10-day and two-day suspensions, respectively, after the investigation, while Bentley and Gouveia retired. Richter then retired in 2021.

The three retired troopers still receive monthly pensions, while Moore is still an active employee.

Words of Wellness

by Dr. Stacey Raya

Kyphosis, also known as hunchback, is a fairly common condition in which there is a forward rounding of the mid to upper back, giving the appearance of a hump. The most common cause of kyphosis is poor posture, although it can also be genetic. It can be painful and significantly affect a person’s quality of life. Fortunately, chiropractic care can help those who suffer from kyphosis. Upon initial diagnostic testing, such as x-rays or an MRI, a skilled chiropractor can determine the exact cause of the kyphosis and develop a personalized treatment plan based on what is causing the condition. Treatment methods include chiropractic adjustments, exercise, spinal decompression, electrical stimulation, physical therapy exercises, and ultrasound.

To help determine the diagnosis of kyphosis, your chiropractor will ask about your medical history and do a physical examination at your initial appointment. He or she may also use techniques called motion and static palpation to feel for tenderness, tightness, and how well your spinal joints move. Please call 860-621-2225 to schedule an appointment. We are located at 200 Queen St., Southington.

The Raya Clinic has a special hump/kyphosis procedure and technique. We can make lifestyle recommendations.

Under the Alvin W. Penn Racial Profiling Act passed in 1999, police are obligated to record and submit traffic stop data, including the reason for a search, the race, ethnicity and gender of the person stopped, and whether the encounter resulted in an arrest.

In 2012, the law was expanded after a federal investigation into the East Haven Police Department revealed that officers intentionally targeted Latino drivers, treated them harshly and failed to implement basic anti-discrimination policies.

That led to the establishment of the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project, which collects traffic data and helps identify and address racial and ethnic disparities.

The project’s latest traffic report prior to the audit found that out of roughly 248,000 traffic stops, Black drivers made up 19% of stops despite only making up 13% of the state’s population. It also divulged that police were more likely to stop Hispanic drivers in daylight relative to darkness.

This story originally appeared at ctmirror.org, the website of The Connecticut Mirror.

Preservation CT

Preservation Connecticut is a statewide nonprofit historic preservation organization, established in 1975 by a Special Act of the Connecticut General Assembly as the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. For over four decades, Preservation Connecticut has championed the protection of community assets all over the state. For more information, visit preservationct.org.

Mentoring

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut is an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the 119-year-old national youth mentoring organization.

Based in Hartford, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut offers life-changing programs to at-risk children in all of the state’s 169 municipalities. Learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters by visiting ctbigs.org.

50th Reunion

The Southington High School Class of 1973 will celebrate its 50th reunion Oct. 7 at the Back Nine Tavern. Tickets are $50. RSVP to Shs73_50threunion@ aol.com. Send checks payable to Maureen Cassidy to: 46 Dunham St., Southington, CT 06489.

Transfer station

Plainville’s transfer station on Granger Lane is open for the season. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sat- urdays only. The transfer station is for Plainville residents only. ID is required. Direct questions to 860-7930221 ext. 7176.

Certification

Eversource is partnering with Housatonic Community College and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Unions 420 and 457 to prepare the next generation of electrical lineworkers in Connecticut.

The Lineworker Certificate Program provides students valuable training in the electric utility industry and the opportunity to progress into Eversource’s paid apprenticeship program. For details, visit Eversource.com.

Boxes to Boots

Berlin-based non-profit Boxes to Boots, 28 Chamberlain Highway, sends care packages to members of the U.S. military serving overseas. To learn more about the organization and its needs, visit boxestoboots.org.

Year Round Tree Service

Evelyn Lewis of East Lyme, formerly of Southington, has accepted a full appointment to attend the United States Coast Guard Academy Scholars Program. She will be officially sworn in on July 10th, 2023. She will attend the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, RI for 10 months, and upon successful completion will be a member of the Coast Guard Academy’s class of 2028.

Evelyn will be rowing for the Bears and majoring in Marine and Environmental Science. Upon graduation, she will be guaranteed a rewarding career as a commissioned Officer. Evelyn is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Marine Science Magnet High School in Groton, and is the daughter of Jason & Michelle Lewis.

The United States Coast Guard Academy is highly competitive and fewer than 100 applicants were selected for the Coast Guard Academy Scholars program from over 10,000 applicants to the Academy this year.