Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

After East Haven arrests, rights group seeks stronger Penn Act

  • by Uma Ramiah
  • January 25, 2012
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

The arrest Tuesday of four East Haven police officers after a federal investigation has one Connecticut rights coalition pushing for a stronger racial profiling law.

EastHaven1

Mongi Dhaouadi, Connecticut Civil Rights Coaliton

“We felt this is the right time for us to come forward and say that discrimination against one part of our community is discrimination against all,” said Connecticut Civil Rights Coalition spokesman Mongi Dhaouadi at a news conference Wednesday.

At the event at the Legislative Office Building, members of the Connecticut Civil Rights Coalition made a public call for further funding and true enforcement of the Penn Act.

That 1999 law defined and prohibited racial profiling while also requiring police departments to record traffic stop demographics and submit them to the state’s attorney. Responsibility was shifted to the African-American Affairs Commission in 2005, but the first — and only — report based on the statistics was issued in 2001.

This fresh call for a racial profiling law — with teeth — comes after what’s become a national story out of East Haven. Four police officers, known as “Miller’s Boys” — after a member of the group, Sgt. John Miller — were taken into custody Tuesday following a two-year federal investigation. The indictment accuses the four of various crimes, from the use of excessive force to obstructing justice.

Officers Dennis Spaulding and David Cari and Sgt. Miller were released Tuesday after posting bond. The fourth officer, Jason Zullo, remained in custody Wednesday.

The Department of Justice investigation began after a video recording surfaced of an incident between the officers and the Rev. James Manship of St. Rose of Lima Church in New Haven. The story was first reported in the New Haven Independent in 2009.

“In light of the investigation in East Haven and the indictments, this is a wake-up call for state leaders,” said ACLU Legal Director Sandy Staub. “We’ve been working for two years to figure out how to get the Penn Act enforced in this state from the top down.”

Staub listed off the Coalition’s recommendations for strengthening the Penn Act, including moving enforcement responsibilities from the African-American Affairs Commission to the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) and adding religion as a reported category. But largely, she said, it’s about properly funding the collection and analysis necessary to make the data useful.

“The pushback last year in legislative efforts was lack of funds, but we know that’s not true anymore,” Staub said. “We know there’s (state) Department of Transportation funding that the OPM can use to fund analysis.”

Rhode Island passed a similar law in 2000, and created a report on gathered data in 2004. Based on its findings and analysis, the state passed the “End Racial Profiling Act of 2004,” which banned racial profiling and required further data collection.

Connecticut, Staub said, is far behind.

“Twelve years later we know nothing more than we knew in 1999,” she said. “That might not be a crime, but it’s a shame.”

In Connecticut in 2011, a follow-up act failed to pass. The Malloy administration opposed it, citing budgetary restrictions.

Reversing that decision, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy released a statement Wednesday noting that, in fact, funds had been available for the past five years through the state DOT.

“I cannot speak to the actions of the previous administration in allowing these funds to languish, but … my Administration is committed to enforcing the laws. Let me be clear: it is simply unacceptable that Connecticut law hasn’t been followed,” the statement read.

EastHaven2

State Rep. Ernie Hewett, D-New London

Data is only as good as what you do with it, state Rep. Ernie Hewett, D-New London, noted at the news conference. “We need to get some juice into this law, put some money into it and get it moving.”

Hewett also wasn’t shy about commenting on East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo’s now infamous “taco comments.”

Maturo was quoted as saying Tuesday that in support of the city’s Latino community — the alleged target of the four arrested officers — he might go home and eat some tacos.

“They should get rid of him — I hope there’s a recall provision in this town, that’s ridiculous,” Hewitt said.

“The gap between Ph.D and common sense is getting really big. I’ve never been to college in my life, but why would I get in front of a podium and say something as stupid as that. It doesn’t make sense.”

While Coalition members stressed that not every police officer or department in Connecticut has an issue with racial profiling, it should be considered a statewide problem.

“This isn’t just an East Haven example,” said Hartford City Councilman Luis Cotto.

It’s easy for someone who’s never been discriminated against to say this doesn’t happen, Hewett added.

“But you’re living in a different world than the one I live in.”

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Uma Ramiah

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Health issues carried weight on the campaign trail.
by Victoria Knight | Kaiser Health News

Even with the Democrats’ newfound Senate majority, differences in health policy between the party’s moderate and progressive wings will persist.

Trump’s pardons included health care execs behind massive fraud
by Fred Schulte | Kaiser Health News

At the last minute, President Donald Trump granted pardons to several individuals convicted in huge Medicare swindles that prosecutors alleged often harmed or endangered elderly and infirm patients while fleecing taxpayers. “These aren’t just technical financial crimes. These were major, major crimes,” said Louis Saccoccio, chief executive officer of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, […]

‘It’s a nightmare:’ A growing number of seniors are unable to book vaccine appointments as problems mount
by Dave Altimari and Jenna Carlesso

The state acknowledged Friday in an email to local health workers that some residents are waiting days for a callback.

Panel recommends small, inflationary pay hike for state officials
by Keith M. Phaneuf

Connecticut's part-time legislature hasn't received a pay hike since 2001. The annual base-pay for senators and representatives is $28,000.

Police task force seeks wider applicant pool for watchdog role
by Kelan Lyons

The task force sent four recommendations — and two that didn't get unanimous approval— to lawmakers for the 2021 session.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Miguel Cardona, who are you?
by Ann Policelli Cronin

When I ask Connecticut teachers about Miguel Cardona, those who know him or have worked with him say that he is really nice guy who knows what the challenges in our classrooms are, knows how to help teachers to improve their teaching, and respects public schools. All good. But what is his vision for teaching and learning that he will bring to the U.S. Department of Education?

Opinion Connecticut needs a strong two-party system, this Democrat says
by Edward Marcus

J.R. Romano’s recent resignation as the state’s Republican Party chair has brought into focus the need for a viable opposition party in Connecticut. It is not healthy politics when everything is totally controlled by one party:  the legislature, the governorship, and most of the major municipalities in our state.

Opinion Connecticut’s $100 million college shell game
by Stephen Adair

The plan to consolidate the 12 community colleges in Connecticut into one college with 12 campuses is called “Students First,” which is ironic because it does not fund students first.  It funds a new administration in a new, statewide bureaucracy. The Board of Regents (BOR) and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system office […]

Opinion Inconsistent television captioning is a barrier to equal access
by Jeffrey Bravin and Barbara Cassin

Our world long ago entered the age of the 24-hour news cycle, and a full understanding of the “who, what, when, where and why” of the news is critical for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing citizens. Yet, Connecticut’s inconsistent quality of television captioning locks our community out of the complete sense of what is happening.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO