HARTFORD, Conn. — While Connecticut remains one of the safest states in the nation, with a violent crime rate less than half of the national rate, Gov. Ned Lamont says that's not good enough. So he laid out a comprehensive package of legislative proposals Monday to combat gun violence.
It's a $64 million proposal that Lamont says will support law enforcement, crime victims and overall public safety.
He plans to pitch this proposal to the Connecticut General Assembly, which convenes its next regular session on Wednesday. Among the key components: doubling the number of officers trained annually to become state troopers or local officers.
"Now I'm calling on our mayors, I'm calling on the First Selectman, with the resources you've got, I want to see 500 more cops on the street by the end of this year," Lamont directed.
One of the major problems is the illegal guns streaming into Connecticut, including Ghost guns. That's why Lamont wants to reestablish the Connecticut Gun Tracing Task Force as part of the plan.
"Ghost guns can be bought, pieces can be bought, from around the country and delivered and If they don't have a serial number, that's a ghost gun, to which they have to inscribe some serial number on it and register it," said James Rovella, the Commissioner of the Connecticut State Police.
And the Commissioner said ghost guns are popping up in municipalities across the state at an alarming rate.
"Ghost guns are probably the biggest emerging threat right now right now," said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut).
You can read Lamont's entire proposal here.
Republican State Representatives Craig Fishbein (R-Wallingford) and Greg Howard (R-Stonington) responded to the Governor's proposal with a statement reading, in part:
“If the governor were truly serious about reducing crimes, and particularly gun crimes, he would work to strengthen state law by fully funding the Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force, lifting prohibitions on motor vehicle searches, reinstating qualified immunity for law enforcement during the course of their duties, and holding our judicial system accountable."
The Connecticut Justice Alliance released a statement in response to the plan, saying,
“Connecticut has already learned the solution to our state’s issues is not to lock up children and put more police on the streets. These half-cooked plans will continue to perpetuate the unjust over prosecution of the state’s Black and Brown communities. CJTS was closed for many reasons, one of the most significant being it was not built to care for, support, or heal our young people. Likewise, adding more police to the street rather than investing in communities is a sure-fire way to repeat the mistakes of our past, and once again fail our youth. We ask Gov. Lamont and his team to bring together a group of people and organizations already working to solve community issues to help find solutions. He should not be adding to problems by increasing the harassment and prosecution of our state’s youngest and most in need residents.
State Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly (R-Stratford) and State Senate Republican Leader Pro Tempore Paul Formica (R-East Lyme) responded to a press conference renewing calls to the legislature to advance the Senate Republicans' "Better Way to a Safer Connecticut" plan that will implement justice reforms and address the root causes of crime with support and opportunity.
Read the GOP plan here.
“We appreciate that Governor Lamont is finally starting to acknowledge that people are screaming for help and we hope to work together to achieve a safer Connecticut. But it is disappointing that nowhere in the Governor’s release was there any mention of ‘opportunity.’ This is about so much more than guns, although that is where the Governor wants the focus. It is about the permissive policies enacted by Democrats that enable violent repeat offenders to continue committing crimes. It is about our state being dead last in job growth and income growth and lacking the opportunities to help people avoid turning to crime in the first place,” said Sens. Kelly and Formica.
"A safer Connecticut starts with a stronger Connecticut. It starts with an economy that can support jobs and housing, build hope, and create a path to success for young people. It starts with services to address trauma. It starts with proactive policing, appropriate consequences for high risk repeat offenders, and ensuring our justice system has the tools to successfully rehabilitate. We need all voices working together to make our state a safer place for every family in every city and town.
"Bridgeport saw over 10,900 shots fired last year, more than double the year before. Just this morning a 21-year-old was killed and a second woman critically injured in Hartford. It was the second homicide in less than 24 hours and the third of the year. The women were shot while sleeping in their beds. These shootings are unacceptable and highlight the need to get illegal guns off our streets. Targeting law abiding gun owners does not stop the illegal gun activity that is killing our children. That must be recognized when crafting policy to address this violence.
“Senate Republicans have a plan for a Safer Connecticut we developed after meeting with community leaders, service providers, youth advocates, and law enforcement to implement a comprehensive approach to stop and prevent crime. We will be offering legislation this year to implement this plan in full. Read the Senate Republicans’ plan for a Safer Connecticut at www.SaferCT.com. We must not only establish appropriate consequences to combat crime, but also to prevent crime, to create opportunity and hope, and to rehabilitate by looking at the big picture.”
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Tony Terzi is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tterzi@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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