HARTFORD, Conn — Shots fired incidents, murders, and motor vehicles thefts. All of them are crimes we’ve seen rise dramatically year over year in some of Connecticut’s big cities. Sometimes those crimes are perpetrated by youth offenders.
Senate Republicans call curbing juvenile crime one of their biggest priorities, but as the minority party, do they have the bipartisan support to make change a reality?
Democrats told FOX61 they back some of the Republican’s ideas, but have deep concerns about others. After revealing a rough plan in October, Senate Republicans launched a website, made a YouTube video, and on Tuesday, revealed the language of their draft bill to tackle juvenile crime called, ‘A Safer Connecticut.’
“People do not feel safe in their homes and in their communities…government needs to respond,” said State Sen. Kevin Kelly, the Senate Republican leader.
Senate Republicans have laid out proposals under three umbrellas, responding to crime, preventing it, and supporting police.
“There are parts of this that I think will potentially make their way to a final bill,” said State Sen. Gary Winfield, a Democrat from New Haven.
Specifically, Republicans want juveniles who are arrested to appear in court the following day. They are calling for mandatory fingerprinting for felony offenders and violent repeat offenders would be subject to GPS monitoring.
“I’m concerned about the notion of GPS monitoring and whether it actually works or not and of course, there’s a cost to that,” said State Sen. Winfield.
Republicans say crime can be somewhat prevented with the help of a direct school to employer job pipeline, establishing a summer jobs program, and spotlighting vocational and technical education as an alternate path to higher education.
“You look at manufacturing. On average it’s a six-figure salary. That’s a good-paying job but the problem is many of our youth don’t get exposed to those good-paying jobs,” said State Sen. Kevin Kelly.
More controversially, Republicans are eager to overturn parts of Connecticut’s police accountability bill which was passed in 2020. Some say it has tied the hands of law enforcement to effectively do their jobs. Republicans want to cut red tape and make it easier for police to deploy stop sticks to end a pursuit, make it easier for police to search your vehicle without your consent, strengthen qualified immunity as a defense from prosecution and litigation, and only require officers to intervene in the use of force when that force is a crime.
State Sen Kelly said they want to, “Give the police and law enforcement the necessary support that I think they are deserving of.”
State Sen. Winfield responded, “I recognize that there are some people who did not agree with the bill but at a certain point the bill has become law and I don’t think it should be re-litigated again this session.”
Republicans and Democrats both told FOX61 they will put up some type of anti-crime legislation. So, now the bill does what all bills do. It will go to a committee for review, then to another department where a price tag gets put on the proposals before it potentially gets called for debate and a vote.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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