Can a Cop From Another Town Stop You in Your Front Yard for Any Reason? Absolutely Not!

The questioning of a former Major League Baseball player in Hartford, by a police officer out of his jurisdiction, shows that state rules need to be reinforced.

Last March, Doug Glanville, was shoveling snow from the driveway of his Hartford home when a police officer from another jurisdiction questioned him. He chronicled his experience in an article in The Atlantic [this link will take you away from the ACLU of Connecticut's website].

A new bill clarifies the scope of jurisdictional enforcement of alleged offenses at the local municipality level.

Glanville said, “It is over a year later, and it is still not clear if I, and my fellow community members, can be in front of our homes without being confronted by an officer from another town for any and everything. This bill creates tangible hope that I could help bring clarity, and change circumstances for more than me.”

David McGuire, Staff Attorney for the ACLU of Connecticut, said, “Police need to follow rules—rules about fairness, equality and even-handedness between communities. A black man stopped and questioned doing absolutely nothing wrong is unfortunately a common occurrence. These incidents foster distrust in our police, which compromises everyone’s public safety.”

Glanville emphasized his respect for the challenges faced by law enforcement professionals he added that this is a reasonable and necessary bill.

As McGuire expands, “I believe this bill will reduce unnecessary extra-jurisdictional efforts; efforts that have directly impacted many local people who would remain overlooked without this important clarification. This bill brings visibility and voice to the disenfranchised members of our community while assisting the entire community in reducing exposure to unnecessary risk and liability for all involved.”

Neither the spirit of the bill, nor the bill as written, impedes police officers from pursuing investigations, misdemeanors or felonies.