The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received September 11, 2024.
It’s hard to see what, if anything, our legislators in Hartford have done recently to strengthen public safety and support policing in rural, small-town Connecticut. In 2020, the legislature passed the Police Accountability Bill in a reaction to the horrific police killings in Minnesota and elsewhere. The bill reduced police legal immunity and, unfortunately, had the unintended consequence of discouraging police response, recruitment and retention. The bill prescribed standards across Connecticut that may or may not work for us here in the 36th district.
The challenges of maintaining a strong, professional police presence and improve public safety in the small towns of Haddam, Chester, Deep River are unabashedly different from those in Minneapolis, Chicago, or Hartford. Just as chemotherapy for a Stage 2 cancer patient may be appropriate and life-saving, it is malpractice to prescribe it for everyone else. And yet, that is the approach that our legislators took, for sadly no better reason than a rush to score political points.
My own experience with our local constables is that they are courteous and professional. We need to support these units to continue to recruit and retain well-trained and highly qualified officers. I would like to see our legislators working to strengthen and support our police units in the 36th district rather than applying fixes for problems that we don’t have while creating new ones.
There is a big economic benefit to maintaining our current police arrangements and our low crime rate. Moving from our small-town arrangement with constables on duty during the day and State Police backup at night, to a full-fledged police department would be very expensive, requiring the addition of an emergency response system.
Crime is expensive. It lowers property values, increases taxes and insurance rates, and the overall cost of living. It costs everyone. Keeping our crime rate low helps stabilize our town budget and property tax rates. Low crime rates provide the peace of mind that you can walk your dog in the evening without fear. What can we do to keep crime low and build public safety?
This November, vote for Kathryn Russell for State Representative. As a Deep River Selectwoman and MBA, she has the local leadership and firsthand understanding of our town’s economic realities and the financial understanding necessary to create real solutions.
Moreover, Kathryn is endorsed by the Connecticut Fraternal Order of Police.
And most importantly, Kathryn isn’t blinkered by years of experience in Hartford policing that is hardly relevant to our situation. Our four towns are each unique and often share similar public safety concerns. We need someone who will represent us, not a Hartford insider whose career has been focused on urban issues.
Let’s keep our towns safe and thriving for the benefit of our ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. Elect Kathryn Russell, State Representative.
Carolyn Field, Essex
