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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 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 considerations of race, color, ethnicity, age, gender or sexual orientation, and the action would constitute a violation of the civil rights of the person. The law also requires agencies to define reporting requirements for police conducting traffic stops and creates a system for citizen complaints. State authorities would also have greater power to collect and assess pertinent data from municipal departments under the new law. The law was passed in the state Senate on April 19, but the final passage of the bill at the House of Representatives occurred on Monday. Gov. Dannel Malloy, who is expected to sign the law said, I will continue to insist that every effort is taken to protect individual rights in every community and that racial profiling is eliminated. In a statement issued on Monday, Malloy said on racial profiling that This is

a real problem that deserves a real solution, and my administration is committed to carrying out the spirit and letter of this law. Once the law comes into effect, police would have to offer citizens they stop a standardized form duly filled out by the police and containing details about the driver and the cases circumstances. Anyone who feels that he or she is targeted due to their color, ethnicity, race, gender or sexual orientation would be allowed to file a complaint, which would have to be reviewed by the local police and then passed on to a state agency. The case of the four indicted policemen which apparently moved lawmakers to formulate the new law, mentioned that the four had conspired to injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate various members of the East Haven community. Court records show that the former police personnel also tried to block a police commission enquiry into the matter and manipulated local union leaders to intimidate municipal investigators. Janice Fedarcyk, assistant FBI director in New York said, They behaved like bullies with badges.

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