HARTFORD, Conn. — Gov. Ned Lamont held a news conference Thursday at the State Capitol to address the ongoing juvenile crimes in the state.
This comes as a 14-year-old Hamden boy was shot and killed in the head Monday near Waterbury. State police identified him as Will Vasquez.
His death sparked a conversation about the ongoing juvenile crimes in the state.
"I wish the probation had been a little stronger after his first offense getting in the wrong," said Gov. Lamont, in reference to Vasquez.
Police did not reveal the exact location of the shooting and only said it happened near Waterbury.
It was just last month when Angel Velez, 14, of Waterbury was stabbed to death in Waterbury on Colonial Avenue.
These teen deaths ignited a conversation about help for juveniles.
"There's a hundred to two hundred kids in this state...youth...that need some taken to custody, that need to be slowed down in life," said James Rovella, Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.
Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary, a former police officer, said the Juvenile Justice Oversight Policy Committee was created in 2014 for a reason, but the recent incidents have proved some policies need to be tweaked.
"In Waterbury, there are probably 20 offenders, most under the age of 18 who are responsible for at least 80 percent of the crime in the city of Waterbury," added Mayor O'Leary.
He added it is the 10-percent high-risk repeat juvenile offenders who have been difficult to deal with. This small percentage is responsible for the constant auto thefts, shootings and robberies.
Many even pointed to the pandemic as a cause of their exaggerated behavior.
"Just the mere fact that we put them behind bars or monitor them alone does not mean they won't go out and do it again," said Jackie Santiago of Compass Youth Collaborative.
Andrew Woods with "Communities That Care" wanted to clear up a misconception of those who blame the teens' parents.
"These parents consistently ask for support and help not only from systems but also from neighbors," said Andrew Woods, executive director of Communities That Care.
Governor Lamont put an emphasis on community policing.
"They can deter crime when they see crime and hopefully deter incidents like what impacted this young man so we can head it off," said Gov. Lamont.
The governor listed some additional changes he would like to see such as putting teens into secure group facilities instead of prison, making sure judges know the nature of the teen's arrest and unclogging the backed up juvenile cases caused by COVID.
Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly responded to the governor's suggestions.
"We need to do more than just hear and see and talk about it. We need to take action. I think the kids of Connecticut are worth fighting for and now is the time to act," said Kelly.
House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora also released a statement that said the governor should have addressed this several months ago and believed only a special session at this point can tackle this emergency.
Carmen Chau is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at cchau@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
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