Anti-Repeat Violence Bill Gets Hartford Mayor's Thumbs Up

Press release from the Hartford County Government:

HARTFORD, CT — The city's Mayor last week said he supported a legislative committee vote that could help reduce gun violence by those charged with it before.

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin of Hartford said he applauded the vote by the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee on HB 6667, which included legislative recommendations proposed by a Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) task force focused on reducing gun violence by repeat offenders.

The recommendations were incorporated into HB 6667, the governor’s bill on reducing gun violence.

“I am very grateful to the chairs and members of the Judiciary Committee for moving this bill favorably out of committee, and look forward to working together with my fellow mayors, advocates, community members, and the members of the General Assembly and the Governor to get these proposals enacted into law,” said Bronin.

"These proposals are specifically focused on those who have a significant history of prior offenses and who continue to commit serious firearm offenses in our communities.

"While this is just one piece of a broader approach to reducing gun violence, it’s an important piece. We need to continue investing in community violence intervention, in reentry support, in job training, and in mental health treatment and trauma recovery – and we also need common-sense measures like this to reduce gun violence by serious repeat offenders.

"The bottom line is that if you’re committing a serious firearm offense after you already have a history of serious offenses, or you commit a serious firearm offense while you’re out on bail, probation, or parole, there’s got to be real consequences and real accountability.”

The relevant provisions of HB 6667 would:

• Establish a definition of “serious firearm offense” that results in increased accountability when committed by someone with a serious criminal history.

• Create a mechanism for requiring defendants with a history of certain offenses to post a higher percentage of their bond when arrested for a new serious firearm offense.

• Increase accountability for individuals who commit serious firearm offenses while on pre-trial release (“out on bail”), on probation, or on parole.

• Streamline the adjudication process for serious firearm offenses.

Data analysis has shown that a significant percentage of gun violence in Connecticut cities is committed by individuals who are on pre-trial release, parole or probation.

Bronin said that, in Hartford, 58 percent of the individuals arrested last year for fatal and non-fatal shootings were on pre-trial release, probation and parole. In Waterbury, 30 percent were on pre-trial release and 40 percent were on probation.

This press release was produced by the Hartford County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.