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Myra Rivers
To The Editor:
Law enforcement in Connecticut is under attack. Now it’s time for Valley residents to speak up.
My name is Myra Rivers, and I am running for State Representative in the 104th District, representing Ansonia and Derby. Since I announced my campaign, I’ve talked about the need for Valley Priorities to be represented at the State Capitol, from lower taxes to job creation in our region.
But there is no higher Valley priority than the support of our first responders and local law enforcement community. These are folks who risk their lives every day to keep us safe, and we here in the Valley have always had their backs.
That’s why it was a shock this past Friday when the Connecticut House of Representatives passed legislation that will tie the hands of law enforcement by stripping them of critical legal protections.
Among those Representatives voting to approve the final bill? Incumbent State Representative Kara Rochelle (editor’s note: click here to read Rochelle’s stance).
It is an absolute shame that a vote was cast in favor of this bill on behalf of Ansonia and Derby, because I truly doubt the constituents of the 104th District support its most radical elements. While there is no doubt that law enforcement reforms are needed, the bill passed by the House goes well past the stated goal of “accountability” and verges on “punishment” of our local police officers.
The bill passed by the House – if enacted – will result in the following:
- Qualified immunity will be drastically limited so that police officers can be individually sued for equitable relief and money damages. In certain instances, officers will now have personal exposure in performing their duties while other costs are passed on to the towns and cities they serve.
- A ban will be placed on all police departments from applying to federal programs designed to help them purchase equipment at lower cost. What sort of equipment? We are talking about rescue boats, equipment for helping in natural disasters, and night vision goggles.
- Additional financial burdens will be placed on Valley communities, such as the costs of purchasing body cameras and maintaining information storage. The bill will not allow full reimbursement of these costs, even for distressed cities like Ansonia and Derby.
The new law will also create new, vaguely defined standards that officers will need to adhere to. For example, the bill fails to define “conduct that undermines public confidence” but makes officers responsible for that conduct. It also creates a “one-size-fits-all” standard of liability when it comes to use of force, and eliminates the ability for an officer to defendant to justify his or her actions based on subjective perceptions.
In other words, the dangerous job of law enforcement will be getting more difficult in our state, and all with the support of own State Representative. You can read the bill in its entirety here.
Enough is enough.
There are ways to achieve law enforcement reform while still respecting those who serve, and a true Representative for Ansonia and Derby would have stood her ground against this irresponsible legislation.
It has never been clearer to me that the Valley is not being represented in the State House.
Sincerely,
Myra Rivers
Ansonia
The writer is the Republican nominee for state Representative, 104th District
