Priority

4

Community Policing & Crime Reduction

Community Policing & Crime Reduction

Pillar Four

Community Policing & Crime Reduction

• Community engagement in managing public safety • Infuse community policing throughout law enforcement organizations • Use multidisciplinary teams • Protect the dignity of all • Neighborhood problem solving • Reduce aggressive law enforcement that stigmatizes youth • Address the school-to-prison pipeline • Youth engagement

1. End broken windows policing

a. Stops for low-level administrative and equipment offenses should be secondary (i.e. police can no longer stop a car for these reasons)

b. Law enforcement officers should be required to seek consent before a search and explain that a person has the right to refuse consent when there is no warrant or probable cause. Furthermore, officers should ideally obtain written acknowledgement that they have sought consent to a search in these circumstances. (Rec. 2.10)

c. Discontinuing police officers from chasing and pursuing “stolen vehicles,” unless, vehicle is classified as carjacking with a weapon. Police officers’ scope of duties should not include “Vehicle Recovery Police” for insurance agencies.

d. Amending CT Statues Public Drinking, Loitering and Disorderly Conduct that require and allow officers to “self-initiate” enforcement that has led and continues to be used as racial and bias policing tactic that results in disproportional police contact and enforcement.

e. Redefine “Police Scope of Duties.” Get police out of performing Non-Policing Matters. Discontinuing duties such as responding to- Homeless Calls, Medical Calls, MVA (no-injuries) Calls, Civil Investigations, Frauds (Credit Card/Banks/Checks), Counterfeit Bills, School Resource Officers, Building Code Enforcement, Loitering, Public Drinking, Enforcing Legal Marijuana Card Verification and Receptacle Storage.

2. Mandate community oversight of all police departments

a. Some form of civilian oversight of law enforcement is important in order to strengthen trust with the community. Every community should define the appropriate form and structure of civilian oversight to meet the needs of that community. (Rec. 2.8)

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