Public Act No. 19-90 established a task force to study police transparency and accountability. The task force is comprised of 11 voting members and 3 non-voting members, with two of the members serving as co-chairs. To date, one chair has been appointed.
Per PA 19-90, the task force shall examine:
The task force shall issue two reports, a preliminary and final report, the latter of which shall be by December 31, 2020. This document shall serve as the task force’s preliminary report.
The most recent meeting of the task force occurred on June 8, 2020. In the wake of the killing of George Floyd by a white Minneapolis police officer and the ensuing social unrest across the state, nation, and world, the task force was asked by the Governor, the Attorney General, and the Judiciary Committee chairs to act urgently to address the multitude of issues brought to light in this and other recent interactions between police and members of the black community. The following recommendations stem from the conversations held at the June 8 meeting.
Universally agreed by all members is the utilization of President Obama’s 21st Century Policing Task Force Final Report and Implementation Guide to form a basis from which the task force can systematically address police accountability and transparency in Connecticut. This document is not unfamiliar to Connecticut, as it was also used as a guide for the February 2018 Final Report of the CT Police Training Task Force, whose recommendations and subsequent action were also discussed in the June 8th meeting.
Universally agreed by all members was the utilization of President Obama’s 21st Century Policing Task Force Final Report to form the basis from which the task force can systematically address police transparency and accountability. The 21st Century Policing report lays out 6 pillars that form the foundation for change. On June 16, 2020, the Task Force adopted a list of 22 preliminary priorities and recommendations organized under the 6 pillars.
