THANKS
THANKS FOR STAYING WITH US ON THE REAL STORY.
WELL LAST WEEK REPUBLICANS
STOOD ON THE STEPS OF THE
CAPITOL AND CALLED ON LAWMAKERS
TO ACT.
TO ACT.
TO ACT. THAT'S AFTER A HIT AND RUN IN
BRITAIN THAT LEFT A MAN DEAD.
POLICE FINDING OUT THE CAR WAS
STOLEN FROM HARTFORD EVENTUALLY
ARRESTING THE ALLEGED DRIVER
OF THAT CAR WHO POLICE SAY WAS
A 17 YEAR OLD WHO HAD BEEN
ARRESTED 13 TIMES IN THE LAST
SEVERAL YEARS.
SEVERAL YEARS. AND THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE
OF A CRIME INVOLVING OUR YOUTH.
THE CALLS ON THE STATE CAPITOL
STEPS WERE FOLLOWED BY A
BIPARTISAN MEETING OF HOUSE
LEADERS.
LEADERS.
LEADERS. SO WE WANT TO BREAK DOWN A BIT
MORE OF THE ISSUE AND FIND OUT
MORE ABOUT THAT BIPARTISAN
MEETING WITH RANKING MEMBER
OF THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE,
REPUBLICAN STATE REPRESENTATIVE
CRAIG FISHBEIN OF WALLINGFORD,
CHAIR OF THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE, DEMOCRATIC STATE
REPRESENTATIVE STEVEN STAFFS
FROM AND REPRESENTING WHO ALSO
REPRESENTS BRIDGEPORT.
REPRESENTS BRIDGEPORT. AND WE WANT TO GET A POLICE
PERSPECTIVE SO WE'RE GOING TO
BRING IN WOLCOTT'S POLICE CHIEF
EDWARD STEVENS.
EDWARD STEVENS. >>
>>
>> THANK
>> THANK YOU ALL THREE FOR BEING
HERE THIS MORNING.
>>
>>
>> THANK
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. SO REPRESENTATIVE FISH
REPRESENTATIVE STAFF STRvM, YOU
WERE BOTH IN THIS BIPARTISAN
MEETING WITH LEADERS WHICH IS
GREAT THAT RIGHT AFTER THAT YOU
ALL CAME TOGETHER TO DECIDED TO
HAVE A DISCUSSION.
SO TELL ME HOW THAT WENT.
LET'S START WITH YOU,
REPRESENTATIVE FISH BIDEN I
THOUGHT IT WENT WELL.
THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION
ABOUT THE OUTCRY THAT IS
MANIFEST IN OUR CALL FOR A
SPECIAL SESSION.
SPECIAL SESSION. I THINK THERE WAS A LOT
OF POINTS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP
DURING THERE THAT NOT A LOT
OF PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT.
YOU MENTIONED THE WOLCOTT
INCIDENT RECENTLY.
INCIDENT RECENTLY. IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION
IN STAMFORD.
IN STAMFORD. THEY'VE ARRESTED A 14 YEAR OLD
FOR MURDER AND THAT CASE UNDER
THE PRESENT STATUTES CANNOT BE
TRANSFERRED TO THE ADULT COURT.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ADJUDICATED
IN JUVENILE COURT AND THAT CASE
SHOULD THAT YOUNG MAN BE
CONVICTED WOULD ACTUALLY GET
ERASED FOR YEARS AFTER HE TURNS
18, WHICH IS VERY TROUBLING.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT
HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT AND WE
CAME AWAY WITH SOME BULLET
POINTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE
MEETING AGAIN NEXT WEEK AND I
THINK IT WAS A POSITIVE THING.
I WOULD HAVE HOPED THAT THE
SENATE DEMOCRATS WERE ALSO PART
OF THAT.
OF THAT.
OF THAT. UNFORTUNATELY THEY WERE NOT AND
WE HAVE YET TO SEE WHETHER OR
NOT THEY'RE GOING TO ENGAGE IN
THE DISCUSSION.
THE DISCUSSION. >>
>>
>> WE
>> WE KNOW THAT SENATOR MARTIN
LOONEY WROTE A SCATHING EMAIL
BLAST PRESS RELEASE AFTER YOUR
TALKING ON THE STEPS.
SO REPRESENTATIVE SANDSTROM,
TELL US WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT
THE MEETING.
THE MEETING. >>
>>
>> IS
>> IS THERE COMMON GROUND BETWEEN
HOUSE REPUBLICANS AND HOUSE
DEMOCRATS?
DEMOCRATS? YEAH, I THINK IT WAS A VERY
PRODUCTIVE MEETING.
PRODUCTIVE MEETING. I MEAN CERTAINLY REPRESENTATIVE
FISHFINDER AND I HAVE WORKED
TOGETHER ON A NUMBER OF THORNY
ISSUES OVER OVER THE YEARS AND
THERE'S CERTAINLY A LOT
OF MUTUAL RESPECT I THINK
BETWEEN THE CAUCUSES AND THE
FOLKS AROUND THE TABLE
DISCUSSING, YOU KNOW, I THINK
FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE WE WANTED
TO MAKE CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW,
WE ARE WILLING TO LOOK AT SOME
CHANGES TO OUR LAWS BUT THIS
WILL BE A SCALPEL APPROACH AND
NOT A SLEDGEHAMMER APPROACH TO
HOW WE HOW WE LOOK AT OUR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
I THINK CONNECTICUT REALLY
SHOULD BE A PROUD OF THE FACT
THAT WE ARE RECOGNIZED
NATIONALLY AS A LEADER IN BEING
SMART ON CRIME AS OPPOSED TO
BEING TOUGH ON CRIME.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP A
PERSPECTIVE THAT PARTICULARLY
CAR THEFTS REALLY HAVE FALLEN
DRAMATICALLY.
DRAMATICALLY. THE RATE OF CAR THEFTS OR THE
NUMBER OF CAR THEFTS IN
CONNECTICUT HAS FALLEN
DRAMATICALLY FROM THE MID 90S
TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
IN FACT, 20 19 WAS THE LOWEST
NUMBER CAR THEFTS IN
CONNECTICUT IN AT LEAST 50
YEARS AND THERE HAS CERTAINLY
BEEN AN UPTICK AND CERTAINLY
SOME TRAGIC INSTANCES AS HAS
BEEN REPORTED.
BEEN REPORTED. BUT YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO WE
NEED TO LOOK AT THIS
HOLISTICALLY AND WE NEED TO
LOOK AT CERTAINLY THE CONTEXT
WITH WHICH WE MAKE CHANGES TO
OUR LAWS.
OUR LAWS.
OUR LAWS. BUT I DO THINK THERE ARE SOME
AREAS WHERE THERE ARE SOME
LOOPHOLES IN OUR LAWS AND THERE
ARE SOME PLACES WE COULD WE
COULD CERTAINLY FLUSH OUT OUR
STATUTES A LITTLE BIT BETTER
AND THOSE ARE THE TYPES
OF REFORMS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
>>
>>
>> STEPHENS, I WANT TO BRING YOU
IN NOW PUTTING ASIDE POLITICS,
YOU'RE THE ONE ON THE GROUND
SEEING WHAT'S GOING ON IN
WOLCOTT'S HAD SOME HIGH PROFILE
INCIDENTS LATELY.
INCIDENTS LATELY. WE HAD THE SENIOR CENTER THAT
WAS TRASHED BY TO USE WE DID A
STORY WITH YOU ON THAT WHERE
YOU KIND OF SHOWED US WHAT
HAPPENED THERE AND THEN WE HAD
A CAR THEFT INCLUDING A CHILD
INSIDE THAT CAR BACK IN MAY,
WHICH IS A REALLY SCARY
INCIDENT.
INCIDENT.
INCIDENT. YOU ENDED UP FINDING THE CAR A
LITTLE WHILE LATER THE CHILD
ASLEEP IN THE BACK SEAT
UNHARMED FROM WHAT YOU COULD
TELL THANK GOODNESS.
BUT THAT INVOLVED ACCORDING TO
YOU FROM WHAT YOU'RE TELLING
ME, POSSIBLY A JUVENILE AS
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. SO
WELL. SO TELL ME WHAT YOUR OFFICERS
ARE SEEING ON THE GROUND WHO
FIRST OF ALL WAS A CAR THEFT
THAT WAS TAKEN FROM ONE OF OUR
AREA TWENTY HOUR STORES.
THERE WERE TWO CHILDREN INSIDE
OF THAT CAR.
LUCKILY ONE LUCKILY ONE OF THEM
WHO HAD A BROKEN LEG OR THE
CAST THAT JUMPED OUT AND THE
GIRL WAS TAKEN TO THE CAR
UNBEKNOWNST TO THE PEOPLE WHO
YOU THE JUVENILE WAS A JUVENILE
STOLE THE CAR.
COULD THE REST WE MADE IS OF A
17 YEAR OLD AND LIKE I SAID, WE
ARE GATHERING EVIDENCE TO
ARREST THE OTHER KIDS THAT WERE
INVOLVED.
INVOLVED.
INVOLVED. LUCKILY NOTHING HAPPENED.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS YOU
HAVE TO REMEMBER A LOT OF THESE
CAR THEFTS ARE DONE BY KIDS
THAT HAVE NOT HAD ANY DRIVING
TRAINING.
TRAINING.
TRAINING. THEY DON'T HAVE LICENSES.
THEY BECOME A MENACE ON THE
ROAD AS WE KNOW JUST HAPPENED
IN BRITAIN AND IT CAN COST
PEOPLE'S LIVES BUT I DON'T
INVOKE IT.
INVOKE IT. THE AUTO THEFTS ARE UP.
THEY'RE NOT DOWN.
ALL THEFTS ARE DEFINITELY WE
HAVE NOT SEEN NOTHING LIKE IT
LATELY IN THEIR MORE BRAZEN
JUST TAKING THEM AGAIN WHILE
THEY'RE RUNNING A LOT OF THEM
WITH KIDS AND A LOT OF THEM
RIGHT FROM STORES OR HOMES OR
THAT'S WHAT OUR OFFICERS ARE
SEEING A LOT OF THEY'RE TAKING
THEM OUT OF DRIVEWAYS.
WHAT WHAT HAPPENS IS A GROUP
OF KIDS WILL GO INTO AN AREA,
THEY SEARCH THE CARS.
THAT'S HOW IT ALL STARTED
SEARCHING FOR BELONGINGS,
SUNGLASSES, MONEY, THINGS LIKE
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. COMPUTERS THEN IT IF THEY FOUND
CAR KEYS THEY WOULD TAKE THE
WHOLE CAR ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO
AND LOOK AT A CAR WAS STOLEN.
THREE PEOPLE DROVE AWAY IN A
CAR WITH THE OTHER CAR THAT
BROUGHT THEM THERE FOLLOWING
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. THEY GOT INTO WATERBURY ON
WOLCOTT ROAD.
WOLCOTT ROAD. THEY WERE RACING WELL THE CAR
THE STOLEN CAR FROM WOLCOTT
FLIPPED OVER.
FLIPPED OVER. THERE WERE THREE CHILDREN IN
THERE AND THAT MY CHILDREN
UNDER 18 TWO OF THEM DIED THEY
DIED IN THAT CAR.
THE ONE THAT WAS DRIVING JUMPED
UP, JUMPED IN THE OTHER CAR.
THEY DROVE OFF.
THEY LEFT THOSE TWO KIDS DEAD
IN THE STREET.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE
SERIOUSNESS OF THIS THESE KIDS
I'M NOT ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT
THE VICTIMS OF THE CAR THEFTS,
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THESE KIDS
THAT ARE GETTING HURT
THEMSELVES.
THEMSELVES. YOU HAVE LIKE RIDGEFIELD, THE
ONE GIRL WHO GOT SHOT WHILE SHE
TRIED TO STEAL A CAR.
WE HAVE TO PROTECT THEM TOO.
YOU KNOW, THE CHANGES WE'RE
ASKING FOR IS SO EVERYONE IS
PROTECTED AND I DO WANT TO
APPLAUD THE YOU KNOW, FOR THAT
MEETING THEY HAD YESTERDAY.
POLICE ARE TRYING TO WORK ON A
SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.
THERE WERE EVERYBODY'S HAPPY.
YOU KNOW, I HAD FROM A POLICE
DEPARTMENT WE WANT TO KEEP
WE'RE SWORN TO PROTECT PEOPLE
TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AND THAT'S
WHAT WE TRY TO DO.
>>
>>
>> CHIEF,
>> CHIEF, WHAT KIND OF TOOLS DO
YOU NEED LIKE WHAT ARE YOU
SEEING RIGHT NOW?
>>
>>
>> YOU
>> YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIMES
THESE KIDS YOU KNOW, WE'RE
SAYING KIDS THEY'RE NOT NINE,
TEN, ELEVEN YEAR OLD KIDS WE'RE
TALKING SIXTEEN SEVENTEEN EIGHT
YEAR OLD KID BECAUSE THEY HAD
REACHED THE JUVENILE AGE.
YOU USE ME, YOU'RE EIGHTEEN.
YOU'RE AN ADULT.
YOU KNOW WHEN YOU WERE SIXTEEN
YOU'D GET ARRESTED.
THERE WAS MORE THAT COULD
HAPPEN TO YOU AND I DON'T MEAN
LOCKING PEOPLE UP.
I'M NOT SAYING JUST LOCK KIDS
UP.
UP.
UP. THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING.
BUT WE NEED SOMETHING THAT'S
GOING TO DETER THESE KIDS FROM
DOING CRIMES.
DOING CRIMES. WHETHER IT'S ANOTHER PROGRAM,
YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO
PUT THEM IN JAIL AT ALL OR NOT
AND I DON'T MEAN FIRST TIME
OFFENDERS.
OFFENDERS. I'M TALKING AFTER TWO OR THREE
TIMES STEALING THE CAR.
THERE HAS TO BE REPERCUSSIONS.
IT'S I HAVE A FOUR YEAR OLD
GRANDSON HE KNOWS RIGHT FROM
WRONG.
WRONG.
WRONG. HE
WRONG. HE DOES SOUND WRONG.
HE'S REPRIMANDED AND IT DOESN'T
DO AGAIN.
DO AGAIN.
DO AGAIN. YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO SHOW THAT
TO SOME OF THESE KIDS AND
AGAIN, IT'S A SMALL HANDFUL
OF KIDS IN THE STATE THAT ARE
DOING THIS.
DOING THIS. THERE'S GROUPS, SMALL GROUPS.
IT'S NOT EVERY JUVENILE THAT'S
DOING THIS.
DOING THIS. IT'S A SMALL WE HAVE TO REACH
OUT AND HELP THEM.
THAT'S WE HAVE TO GET THEM TO
HELP WHETHER IT'S THROUGH LIKE
I SAID, A DIFFERENT PROGRAM,
THAT'S FINE.
THAT'S FINE. BUT AFTER WE CLOSED UP IT
DIDN'T SEEM LIKE ANYTHING WAS
IN PLACE.
IN PLACE.
IN PLACE. WE HAVE IN OUR TOWN HERE A
GROUP HOME WE ARE USED TO IT
WAS SET UP TO TAKE TROUBLED
KIDS.
KIDS.
KIDS. WHAT I MEAN I TROUBLE FROM
HOMES WHERE THEY WERE ABUSED
MENTALLY PHYSICALLY THEY HAD
ISSUES IN THEIR OWN HOMES AND
THEY COULDN'T STAY THERE SO
THEY WOULD GO INTO THESE HOMES
AFTER THE JUVENILE TRAINING
SCHOOL CLOSED UP, DCF HAD
NOWHERE ELSE TO SEND SOME
OF THESE KIDS THE KIDS WERE
GETTING ARRESTED AND IN
TROUBLE.
TROUBLE.
TROUBLE. THEY WERE NOW PUTTING THEM IN A
HOME WHICH WE HAVE IN WOLCOTT
WHERE THE TWO KIDS THAT
VANDALIZED A SENIOR CENTER WERE
IT THEY'RE PUTTING THEM IN WITH
THESE OTHER KIDS THAT HAVE
PROBLEMS AND THAT'S NOT A GOOD
ENVIRONMENT.
ENVIRONMENT. >>
>>
>> WE
>> WE NEED SOMEWHERE WHERE WE CAN
KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE.
REPRESENTATIVE STAFF STRvM I
MEAN WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM
DEMOCRATS?
DEMOCRATS? WHAT'S THE APPETITE OUT THERE?
I MEAN I WAS LISTENING TO SOUND
FROM THE GOVERNOR FROM LAST
WEEK AND HE SAYS HE'S HE'S
WILLING TO LOOK AT IT AND SAID
HE WASN'T AGAINST A SPECIAL
SESSION BUT THAT IT WOULD BE ON
LAWMAKERS TO CALL TO CALL A
SPECIAL SESSION.
SPECIAL SESSION. I KNOW REPRESENTATIVE RITTER
HAD KIND OF SAID IT DIDN'T
NECESSARILY IF I REMEMBER NEED
TO HAPPEN IN A SPECIAL SESSION.
>>
>>
>> TELL
>> TELL ME TELL ME WHAT YOUR GUY'S
STANCES ON THAT.
SO I ACTUALLY THINK I AGREE
WITH A LOT OF WHAT THE CHIEF
JUST SAID WHICH YOU KNOW, IF WE
ARE TALKING ABOUT CHANGES THAT
ARE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO
LEAD TO A KID WHO WAS ARRESTED
FOR CAR BEING INCARCERATED, HER
FIRST OFFENSE YOU KNOW, IF
THERE'S A MUTUAL AGREEMENT THAT
WE SHOULD NOT BE GOING BACK TO
KIND OF THE 90S ERA EARLY 2000S
ERA OF LOCK THEM UP BUT I THINK
WE CAN MAKE A LOT OF PROGRESS.
I THINK THE CHIEF IS RIGHT THAT
A LOT OF THIS IS ABOUT GETTING
KIDS INTO THE PROGRAMS AND
GETTING THE SERVICES THEY NEED
AND IN EARLIER ON IN THE
PROCESS.
PROCESS.
PROCESS. SO RIGHT NOW I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO
RECOGNIZE THAT IF IF A JUVENILE
IS ARRESTED FOR STEALING A CAR,
IT'S NOT THERE ARE NO
CONSEQUENCES FOR THAT THE KID
ACTUALLY HAS TO GO INTO ONCE
THEY'RE ADJUDICATED DELINQUENT
WHEN ADJUDICATED TO HAVE
COMMITTED THAT CRIME BECAUSE
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S THERE'S DUE
PROCESS HERE.
PROCESS HERE. BUT IF IF THE KID IS ACTUALLY
CONVICTED OF STEALING THE CAR
THEN THEY GO TO TWENTY TWO
CLASS PROGRAM AND AN EVALUATION
AND THERE'S MONITORING.
WELL WE NEED TO DO IS GET SOME
OF THAT INTERVENTION, SOME
OF THAT ASSESSMENT TO KIDS AT
THE TIME OF ARREST SHORTLY
AFTER THE TIME OF ARREST SO
THAT THEY DON'T COMMIT
SUBSEQUENT OFFENSES BEFORE
THEIR ACTUAL COURT DATE BEFORE
THEY ARE ACTUALLY ADJUDICATED
DELINQUENT.
DELINQUENT. THEIR CASE GOES TO TRIAL SO TO
SPEAK BECAUSE WE KNOW FROM
STATISTICS THAT THE KIDS WHO
MAYBE STEAL A CAR HAVE A COURT
DATE MONTHS LATER AND ARE
ACTUALLY ADJUDICATED DELINQUENT
GO THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
THE RECIDIVISM IS REALLY LOW
FOR THOSE KIDS.
THE ISSUE IS THE KIDS THAT
COMMIT MULTIPLE OFFENSES IN A
SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AFTER
THEIR FIRST ARREST.
AND I THINK THERE IS CERTAINLY
FROM MY CAUCUS'S PERSPECTIVE I
THINK THERE'S CERTAINLY
WILLINGNESS TO LOOK AT HOW WE
GET INTERVENTION EARLIER ON
REPRESENTATIVE FISH.
REPRESENTATIVE FISH. >>
>>
>> FINE.
FINE.
FINE. I'M
FINE. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE LAST
WORD HERE BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE
ABOUT 30 SECONDS LEFT.
>>
>>
>> BUT
>> BUT ARE YOU DOES THAT SOUND
LIKE SOMETHING THAT REPUBLICANS
CAN GET BEHIND?
ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. AND I I HOPE TO GET THERE.
WE DID RUN AN AMENDMENT
RECENTLY THAT CALLED FOR SOME
OF THESE CHANGES.
UNFORTUNATELY ONLY FOUR
DEMOCRATS VOTED FOR IT AND THAT
AMENDMENT DID FAIL.
SO WE HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR
THIS AND HOPEFULLY WE GET TO
THE GOAL LINE MORE THAN JUST
THE SCALPEL OF COURSE.
>>
>>
>> ALL
>> ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR
COMING ON THE REAL STORY
PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION.
PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION. WANT TO CONTINUE IT.
THE THREE OF YOU ALWAYS WELCOME
ON THE REAL STORY TO TALK ABOUT
IT.
IT.
IT. >>
>>
>> THANK
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JOHN.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. THAT DOES IT FOR US ON THE REAL
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