Nick Sibilla of the Institute for Justice, one of our coalition partners, contributed a think piece to Forbes on HB 6004, a qualified immunity reform in Connecticut signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont that will improve police accountability.
“These reforms are focused on bringing real change to end the systemic discrimination that exists in our criminal justice and policing systems that have impacted minority communities for far too long,” Gov. Lamont stated. “Ultimately, what we are enacting today are policies focused on providing additional safeguards to protect peoples’ lives and make our communities stronger.”
Not everyone is pleased with this effort. Prior to the bill’s signing, law enforcement officials claimed qualified immunity reform in Connecticut would hurt recruitment, and several officers threatened to quit in protest.
In his assessment, Sibilla notes that the new law contains multiple loopholes that undermine its effectiveness. However, he also mentions that one of the bill’s weaknesses may end up being “a blessing in disguise.”
“The section curtailing police immunity doesn’t take effect until July 1, 2021,” Sibilla writes. “Though usually a cause for concern, this delay means that Connecticut has almost an entire year to close the loopholes it just created.”
Read the entire article here.