Amy Morrin Bello

During my first term as your legislator, I have listened to many concerns from my constituents, including car break-ins and thefts. The legislature realizes these crimes have impacted many communities in Connecticut and have risen across the country during the pandemic. We are working with the Judicial branch, and State and local law enforcement to find solutions. 

The Judicial Branch and local police have struggled to share juvenile criminal history and that has hampered efforts to investigate and properly prosecute repeat offenders. Beginning on September 1, the CT Judicial Branch will provide police departments with 24/7 access to juvenile arrest records to help curb car thefts and break-ins by juveniles.  I am pleased to share these commonsense policy changes that will make it easier to detain those with cases pending or repeat offenders, helping to take serious juvenile offenders off the streets.  

 

Starting September 1st: 

• Police departments will have the ability to seek additional information regarding a juvenile’s prior criminal history (i.e. probation, pending cases/conditions of release, pending orders, convictions/adjudications and suspended detention orders) at any time of day or night.  
• Police will have discretion to seek additional information for when they deem it is necessary to do so. The same discretion still applies for detention orders. 
• The turnaround time for this information request between the police department and the Juvenile Probation office is estimated to be around 1 hour, effectively ending what people call “catch and release” of repeat offenders, as it will happen within the maximum time of 6 hours to hold a juvenile for detention. 

I am grateful to the Judicial Department and the Judiciary Committee for hearing legislators’ concerns, organizing multiple opportunities to discuss policy, and to all of the law enforcement officers who took the time to give their professional perspective on this matter. I am committed to working to keep Connecticut a safe place for all its residents and will continue to work to find additional solutions to reduce juvenile crime.