SOUTHINGTON, Conn. — State Rep. Patrick Callahan (R-New Fairfield) is the 2024 recipient of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association’s Carroll J. Hughes Legislator of the Year Award.
He received the honor during the association’s annual winter meeting on Thursday for his efforts to advocate and allocate resources on behalf of law enforcement in Connecticut.
According to a release from the CPCA, the award is named after Carroll J. Hughes, a longtime lobbyist. It is presented each year to lawmakers who work to support initiatives and legislation that are significant for law enforcement. Hughes spent many years working with the CPCA and many other organizations.
Callahan has spoken out against multiple bills that the CPCA actively lobbied against, including the secondary stops bill and HB 5331, which included a section that aimed to prohibit the DMV Commissioner from suspending a driver’s license if an individual failed to pay a speeding ticket. The CPCA believes that it would essentially remove the penalty for speeding.
Callahan has also spoken in support of and voted on attempted amendments to restore law enforcement’s ability to conduct consent searches of vehicles.
Prior to his time in the state legislature, Callahan spent nearly 27 years as an Adult Probation Officer, including 17 years as Chief Probation Officer. During that time, he worked with offenders to decrease recidivism and produce successful outcomes for those sentenced to probation, according to the release.
Callahan said he grew up around law enforcement officers and has considerable respect for what they do each day. He said he has their back in Hartford.
“In my previous career, I had the chance to work with numerous agencies, and now working with State Capitol Police, New Milford and Danbury departments and state police in New Fairfield and Sherman, I will continue to work to stop the unfair treatment of officers and stand up for what’s right for those keeping our communities safe,” Callahan said.
The meeting on Thursday was held at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, a neighborhood in Southington, and included a training segment for law enforcement officers, a mini product exposition and networking and professional development opportunities.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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