A platform for Lamont at state police graduation

HARTFORD — Standing on a minor league baseball field under the beating sun Thursday, Gov. Ned Lamont heaped praised on the state’s 100 newest troopers, the latest class to graduate under his tenure.

The celebratory occasion, routinely attended by governors, also served as an opportunity for Lamont to promote his administration’s support for law enforcement as he eyes a reelection run — with Republicans ramping up their criticism that the state is less safe under his watch.

“We got more troopers coming. Extra troopers coming,” Lamont said at the graduation ceremony for the 130th Training Troop of the Connecticut State Police at Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford. “We need you more than ever.”

The governor’s office highlighted $6 million in the state budget to fund another three training classes over the next two years, which are expected to produce 255 additional troopers.

With this latest class, more than 200 troopers have come on board under Lamont, with another 95 trainees slated to start at the state police training academy next month, the governor’s public safety commissioner James Rovella said Thursday.

“Then I’ll be back in your pockets looking for more money as a good commissioner should do,” Rovella quipped to the governor.

But House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora said the support isn’t felt by law enforcement, who still feel slighted by the administration’s efforts to enact criminal justice reforms, including last summer’s police accountability bill.

“It’s wonderful to see people still stepping up to become police officers to serve our communities but there’s no question when you talk to officers how unsupported they feel by this administration and Democrats in the legislature who have passed numerous pieces of legislation that have tied their hands,” Candelora, R-Branford, said.

Earlier this summer, Candelora and other House Republicans stood in front of the state Capitol with two police chiefs to decry a recent spurt in youth crimes, and demand changes to juvenile justice system. Crime is likely to be an explosive campaign theme for the GOP in 2022 as it continues to cast Lamont and other Democrats as supporters of the movement to defund the police.

“It’s good that our state police, that we have a lot more state troopers but at the end of the day, the bigger issue for people is, what are they doing to try to change the laws that exist to try to get a handle on crime – particularly juveniles?” said Ben Proto, chair of the state GOP party.

Asked to respond to the Republican critiques, Lamont pointed to the new additions to the force.

“Come and look at the troops we have graduating today,” he said. “Look at the fact that we have additional classes of troops coming. We’re recruiting the best and the brightest, doing everything we can to keep Connecticut safe.”

Speaking to reporters after the graduation ceremony, Lamont made this promise: We’ll have more state police next year at this time than we do today.