To the editor:
State Representative Kara Rochelle was elected to support out Valley communities, including local law enforcement.
Shockingly, she’s done much more to help local law breakers.
Connecticut has seen a rise in crime since 2020, and Ansonia and Derby are no exception. A rise in juvenile crime is a particular concern, particularly motor vehicle, and property thefts. Source: https://crime-data-explorer.app.cloud.gov/pages/explorer/crime/crime-trend (select Connecticut, New Haven County, Ansonia or Derby)
This year alone, we have seen multiple shootings in Ansonia, including a homicide in which a 25-year-old man was shot on Hubbell Avenue. Yet despite these concerning trends, Representative Rochelle has consistently supported laws that give criminals an advantage over local police.
It’s been well established that Representative Rochelle voted for the Police Accountability Act, which has made the job of local police more difficult and more dangerous.
Imagine a world where criminals can openly taunt police officers from their vehicles, then speed off at excessive speeds into the night without any fear of pursuit. No, it’s not a scene from a post-apocalyptic action film.
It’s the reality our officers are facing on streets like Wakelee Avenue, thanks to the new restrictions placed on police pursuits.
The Police Accountability Act also prohibits consent-based searches of motor vehicles, which certainly makes it easier for criminals to conceal weapons and drugs even if they are stopped by an Ansonia or Derby officer.
Unfortunately, Representative Rochelle’s assault on law enforcement did not end with her enthusiastic support for the Police Accountability Act.
Kara Rochelle voted to pass SB 1019, a bill that erases the criminal records of 300,000 persons who have committed low-level felonies and misdemeanors.
She voted for SB 1202, a bill that extends the voting rights of convicted felons.
She voted for SB 1059, which limits to use of solitary confinement in Connecticut prisons.
It’s no surprise that she was recently endorsed by Our Revolution, an extreme political action organization which supports decarceration – a policy of keeping criminals out of jail.
Representative Rochelle’s job is to fight for our Valley community. Instead, her personal ideology has her more interested in fighting for criminals.
Whose side is she on?
Valley voters need to be draw the line: if Representative Rochelle does not have the backs of our police and residents, she does not deserve our votes.
TONY MAMMONE
The writer is a member of the Ansonia Board of Aldermen, the chairman of the Ansonia Town Republican Committee, and the treasurer of Shuart for State Rep 2022.
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Note: the opinions expressed in letters to the editor belong to the letter writers, and should not be interpreted as the opinion of The Valley Independent Sentinel. Letters cannot exceed 550 words.
