Police accountability bill should become law

During this time of pandemic, it’s been challenging for our state legislators to keep up with passing bills that address their constituents’ ongoing changing needs. But when push comes to shove, they are opting for returning to work to make things happen. One of those things they rightly made a priority of after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., by an officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck  for more than 8 minutes, is the police accountability bill about which the Legislature’s judiciary committee held a more than 7-hour hearing on Friday, July 17. Our own state Rep. Maria Horn (D-64), a member of that committee, listened to more than 150 testimonies during that time. Horn also posted the Zoom discussion on Facebook for her constituents to view. 

The bill was crafted by a bipartisan group, according to the Hartford Courant, and includes bans on chokeholds, a requirement for the wearing of body cameras, a change in qualified immunity and a mandate for the public release of complaints against police whether they are found to be legitimate or not. The bill is aimed at changing the culture of police force operation in the state of Connecticut. While there are concerns from the State Police union and other law enforcement groups, the need for reform in policing is an issue that will not and should not go away quietly in the current climate. 

The final version of the bill should include having police accountability, with all complaints open to the public. If they are found to be baseless, all the better. But the public should know what the police are dealing with on a regular basis, and what the outcomes of those actions are. 

There are many good and dedicated police officers who engage with people in their communities who benefit from their intervention in crisis situations, this is not to be denied. But when there are also cops who take advantage of their stance of power over those who have none, legislation must be passed and enforced to address their actions. There is a balance in fairness that can be found. The legislation must be implemented responsibly, with open knowledge of what the regulations are on police behavior. Transparency is of the utmost importance when it comes to police activity, and Connecticut needs to address a steady diminishing of such openness in recent years. 

The General Assembly has been called back for a special session that began Tuesday, July 21, to discuss this bill, as well as the process for the upcoming elections and absentee ballots, among other things. Here’s hoping our representatives can take action on at least these two issues, strengthening the state’s stance relating to law enforcement and the state regulations on voting absentee, which should be allowed more widely during a pandemic that puts voters at risk. 

 

 

 

 

Latest News

Club baseball at Fuessenich Park

Travel league baseball came to Torrington Thursday, June 26, when the Berkshire Bears Select Team played the Connecticut Moose 18U squad. The Moose won 6-4 in a back-and-forth game. Two players on the Bears play varsity ball at Housatonic Valley Regional High School: shortstop Anthony Foley and first baseman Wes Allyn. Foley went 1-for-3 at bat with an RBI in the game at Fuessenich Park.

 

  Anthony Foley, rising senior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, went 1-for-3 at bat for the Bears June 26.Photo by Riley Klein 

 
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

Keep ReadingShow less
Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit lakevillejournal.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

Keep ReadingShow less