Police warn reforms may dissuade staff

Connecticut lawmakers were warned Friday that a wide-ranging police accountability bill, which would allow officers to be personally sued in certain circumstances for violating someone’s civil rights, will have serious ramifications, including discouraging recruitment of new officers and prompting many existing ones to resign or retire.

Andrew Matthews, president of the Connecticut State Police Union, told members of the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee that some police officers might also be discouraged from taking action during a call or reduce their interactions with the public because they’ll be afraid of getting sued.

“No police officer, we believe, will risk their physical or financial stability for an employer who will not stand by them, defend them when they need to,” said Matthews, referring to a section of the bill that would not allow certain governmental immunity protections for officers who commit serious transgressions.

More than 150 people signed up to speak during Friday’s “listening session” on a bipartisan bill aimed at reforming police practices and training in the wake of the police killings of George Floyd and other Black people.

It was the first major legislative hearing to be held virtually during the pandemic.

While the language is not yet finalized, lawmakers hope to vote on the proposal this month.

Despite concerns about the proposed reforms raised by police officers, some of whom said they felt unfairly tainted by the bad actions of officers in other states, both activists and community members said Connecticut has its own fair share of police shootings, problem officers and long-standing racial inequities that need to finally be addressed.

Barbara Fair of West Haven, a clinical social worker and veteran activist, noted how the General Assembly acted quickly to pass various criminal justice reforms after three members of a prominent white family in Cheshire were murdered in 2007.

“I’d like to have that happen now,” she said. “I think people are tired of waiting for justice. They’re tired of waiting for excuses. We’re tired of the police trying to be the victim when they’re abusing and killing people. This is not about George Floyd. They need to stop talking about this. This is about 401 years of terrorism of African people, sanctioned in this country.”