ACLU-CT Reacts to Legislature’s Passage of Police Accountability Bill

HARTFORD – The Connecticut General Assembly senate today voted 21-15 to approve a bill regarding police accountability. The senate’s decision followed last week’s 86-58 house of representatives vote approving the bill. With today’s senate approval, the bill passes the Connecticut General Assembly and awaits action from Governor Ned Lamont.

The following is a reaction from Melvin Medina, public policy and advocacy director of the ACLU of Connecticut:

“People have spent years telling the Connecticut General Assembly that police violence and racism exist in Connecticut, have gone unchecked, and that families harmed by police are denied justice and redress. Ending police violence will not be solved by any one bill, but the bill passed out of the legislature today is a start. The legislature must take stronger action in future sessions to end systemic racism and violence in policing, and policymakers must recognize that their work has only just begun. We applaud the majority of legislators who, in an act of solidarity with their Black and Latinx colleagues, voted to better protect the public from police violence. To the legislators who instead voted to shield the profession of policing from accountability, do better.”

For the ACLU of Connecticut’s brief analysis of key provisions of the bill: https://www.acluct.org/en/news/aclu-ct-position-and-analysis-house-passed-version-lco-3700-act-concerning-police

For the ACLU of Connecticut’s testimony regarding the bill as originally introduced (the version passed by the legislature differs from the original bill language): https://www.acluct.org/en/news/aclu-ct-testimony-regarding-lco-no-3471-act-concerning-police-accountability