Stefanowski Wants Changes To CT Police Accountability Law

CONNECTICUT — Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski unveiled his “SAFE” plan to undo parts of the state’s 2020 police accountability law, which passed in the wake of the George Floyd murder.

Among the changes, Stefanowski said he wants to reinstate consent searches, revisit use of force standards and undo changes to qualified immunity.

Stefanowski said crime in Connecticut was out of control and people feel less safe, according to CT News Junkie. He did say some parts of the bill were good, including rules regarding body cameras and the creation of the state Inspector General position to investigate use of force incidents.

Stefanowski also criticized Gov. Ned Lamont’s news conference on 2021 crime statistics before the FBI released statistics.

Overall crime reports dropped 3 percent and violent crime dropped 9 percent, according to the report.

Stefanowski mainly focused on the issue of qualified immunity during a news conference, and said the change has made it harder for police departments to recruit candidates, according to the CT Mirror.

The current law still protects officers from personal financial liability, so long as their conduct isn’t, a malicious, wanton or willful act, which is largely the same protection as previous state law.

Some municipal advocates worried that the law would weaken legal protections afforded to municipalities, which could lead to increased liability and insurance costs for towns.

Lawmakers changed the bill’s use-of-force provisions in 2021. The language change eliminated an officer’s duty to exhaust reasonable alternatives to deadly force, and instead added that officers can use deadly force if they “reasonably determined” no alternatives existed, according to CT Examiner.