The Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) Policing Task Force has released its public report and 23 recommendations, which were unanimously approved by the CBA. The report was released ahead of the latest Constance Baker Motley Speaker Series on Racial Inequality Event, “The CBA Task Force’s Recommendations on Policing in Connecticut,” taking place on November 4, 2021, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The 22-member Task Force is comprised of attorneys and academics with varied practices and work experiences, current and former members of state and federal law enforcement, and a diverse group of community members and activists. The mission of the Task Force was to bring together a group of informed people with varied backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences in an effort to provide some practical suggestions regarding policing in Connecticut.
Since June 2020, the Task Force met on a weekly basis, attended community listening sessions, and elicited the advice and counsel of the state judiciary, individual police officers, and representatives of police unions. The report documents the work of the Task Force and the recommendations are the product of respectful but rigorous debate, and informed by legal and other research. The Task Force partnered with the Police Transparency and Accountability Task Force created by the General Assembly (“PTATF”). With the permission of the CBA, draft recommendations were shared with the PTATF to ensure they had the benefit of the work of the CBA Task Force on a timely basis. A number of the CBA Task Force’s recommendations have been adopted by the legislature.
The Task Force is chaired by Deirdre M. Daly, the former United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut and a partner at Finn Dixon & Herling LLC; Reverend Keith King, Senior Pastor Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church and a former federal prosecutor; and Alexis Smith, Executive Director of New Haven Legal Assistance Association. The Task Force membership also includes representatives from the affinity bar associations and the NAACP, leaders within the CBA, former and current federal prosecutors, the Chief State’s Attorney, two police chiefs, and other respected individuals and community activists from throughout the state.
“We are grateful to the Task Force and Committee members who dedicated significant time to our work for close to 18 months. The strength of our group lies in its diversity and its commitment to working together despite our different viewpoints. As we all recognize, policing in America, particularly today, is very hard. In Connecticut, we are fortunate to have many dedicated officers and respected police leaders, some of whom are recognized nationally as models for their innovative and progressive work. Our recommendations are not meant to undermine their leadership or the critical work of these officers. Rather, the goal of our work is to create additional positive change, an evolution in policing that will better support both the police and the communities they serve,” stated Co-Chairs Daly, King, and Smith.
“I commend the CBA Policing Task Force for its hard work, drawing from the collective expertise, wisdom, and empathy of a broad and diverse array of stakeholders, addressing the very complex issue of policing in our society today,” stated CBA President Cecil J. Thomas. “As a participant in virtually every Task Force meeting, I particularly commend our Task Force members for fostering a respectful environment, across many difficult conversations, towards a culture of mutual respect and understanding among all of the various participants. I am honored to have participated as a member, and am deeply appreciative of all that I have learned from our Task Force leaders, members, and guest experts.”
The Task Force was divided into four Committees that also met regularly, often weekly, and focused on the following:
- The Data Collection Committee reviewed in detail approximately 86 incidents since 2001 in which Connecticut police officers and state troopers used deadly force. Relying on the information contained in public investigative reports, the Committee prepared a comprehensive dataset that documents critical facts relating to these incidents. The public sharing of this data is critical to any meaningful assessment of police work. A link to the dataset is included in the Report.
- The Oversight Committee examined how police departments, local communities, and state governments resolve allegations of systemic and individual instances of police misconduct. They reviewed internal affairs divisions, civilian review boards, hiring practices, consent decrees, and pattern-or-practice lawsuits; evaluated police department accreditation standards; and surveyed how citizen complaints are recorded across the state.
- The Moral Recognition Committee focused on the understanding that there is often distrust of the police, with deep historical roots, among African Americans, other people of color, and their communities. Through reconciliation initiatives; diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings; and community conversations, the committee believes police departments can build more just, equitable, and effective police-community relationships, and address the past and present impacts of structural and systemic inequality.
- The Reimaging Police Committee examined the appropriate scope of police responsibility, considered calls for deploying alternative responders and related support proposals, and examined relevant police training and policies. The Committee also explored redefining public safety and combating systemic inequality by investing in programs that address the root causes of violence and crime (e.g., lack of employment opportunities, housing, quality education, or health care) by creating economic ecosystems in under-resourced communities.
A link to the Task Force Report is provided here; for more information on the Task Force, including the report and dataset on which it is based, visit ctbar.org/policing-task-force.