Federal government could target CT State Police amid ticket scandal
The U.S. Department of Justice may soon probe the Connecticut State Police, said state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner James Rovella.
He spoke Wednesday at a hearing inside the Connecticut state Capitol.
State investigations have already launched in response to an audit finding at least 25,966 traffic tickets written by state troopers were “highly likely” to contain falsified information.
“We will dig into those names, exonerate those who are falsely alleged, but pursue those that are falsifying these documents,” Rovella said Wednesday. “We are looking at approximately a hundred and thirty troopers.”
The Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project performed the audit of its traffic stop data after an August 2022 report from CT Insider found four state troopers falsifying traffic tickets to show that they’d been more productive than they actually were.
Analysts are concerned data presented in previous reviews could now be compromised, an alarming possibility since that data already uncovered racial disparities in traffic stops in Connecticut.
The Office of the Chief States Attorney, as well as a team led by former Connecticut U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly, are investigating the audit.
Advocates held a “Police the Police” rally outside of the Connecticut state Capitol one day before the hearing where Rovella spoke.
Abimbola “King” Oretade, president of Black Lives Matter 860, told Connecticut Public that any offending officers should go to prison.
“Treat them just like a civilian, just like us," Oretade said. "If I falsify documentation, I'm looking at felony charges. That's not a lie.”
Mayoral candidates in CT’s biggest cities now carry party endorsements
There were a flurry of endorsements for candidates in municipal elections this week, as party endorsements had to be in by Tuesday, July 25.
In Bridgeport, incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim received unanimous support from Bridgeport Democrats in his bid for re-election .
"I think what we've done over the past number of years is demonstrate not only do we govern well, but that we have a path of progress, and a vision that we share for a better quality of life, and we're going to get there," Ganim said after he received the endorsement. "We continue to work every day to do that."
Ganim has been Bridgeport’s mayor since 2015, which was his second stint as the city’s leader. He was first elected mayor in 1991, but resigned in 2003. He then spent time in federal prison on municipal corruption charges stemming from his first mayoral administration.
In New Haven, incumbent Mayor Justin Elicker got an overwhelming vote of confidence from the city’s Democrats on Tuesday. He’s running for a third mayoral term.
Hartford and Waterbury mayors Luke Bronin and Neil O’Leary aren’t running for re-election again, so the races in their cities will not feature an incumbent mayor.
In Hartford, Bronin has endorsed Democratic candidate Arunan Arulampalam. The Hartford Land Bank CEO received his party’s endorsement Monday night. He beat out state Sen. John Fonfara and retired Superior Court judge Eric Coleman.
Paul Pernerewski, a Democrat, and Dawn Maiorano, a Republican, have been endorsed by their respective party committees in Waterbury.
Metro-North riders could see a fare increase and a train inspector strike
Prices for train rides on the Metro-North railroad are going up in New York. But officials in Connecticut say fares aren’t going up in this state just yet.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says fair increases for New York are slated to go into effect on Sunday, Aug. 20. But the Connecticut Department of Transportation says federal Civil Rights laws mean officials can’t immediately raise rates for riders in Connecticut without a public hearing.
"It's a federal requirement that we have to do as part of the Civil Rights Act,” DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan said. “So this is something that wouldn't happen with the snap of a finger overnight."
But Jim Cameron, a local commuter advocate, says fare increases for Connecticut riders on Metro-North are likely coming soon.
“The fare increase seems inevitable," Cameron said. "It has been several years since we have had one, and the pace has been set by the MTA in New York.”
As riders face a potential rate increase, they also face a possible service interruption.
Train inspectors working on Metro-North say they’re prepared to strike in September if their wages aren’t increased. Members of the Transportation Workers Union of America handed out flyers at passenger terminals at Grand Central Station and New Haven’s Union Station earlier this month to alert riders about a possible work stoppage.
Meanwhile, the MTA tells Connecticut Public that the threat of a strike is not “imminent.”
Representatives from the MTA and the Transportation Workers Union of America are scheduled to meet in a negotiation session on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Frankie & Johnny premieres Fridays at 4:44 p.m. during All Things Considered on Connecticut Public Radio. Connecticut Public Radio’s Matt Dwyer, Jim Haddadin, Lisa Hagen, Shanaé Hart, Chris Polansky, Kate Seltzer, and Patrick Skahill contributed to this report.
