The Connecticut House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill on Monday that makes it a crime for anyone in law enforcement to intentionally falsify information in police records. The legislation, known as House Bill 5055, was approved with a 149-0 vote and now moves to the Senate.
The bill was proposed by Governor Ned Lamont following reports of “significant failures” by the Connecticut State Police in correcting issues with racial profiling data and incidents of officers deliberately falsifying traffic ticket data. There are ongoing federal and state investigations into the ticketing scandal.
Under the new law, it would be a Class D felony for any individual acting in a law enforcement capacity to knowingly enter false information into police records or make false written statements. This crime could be punished with up to five years in prison and a fine of $5,000. Additionally, falsifying records would be grounds for decertifying an officer’s policing license.
Lawmakers initially intended the bill to focus on police officers but later expanded its scope to penalize anyone who falsifies a law enforcement record. The bill also restricts the release of information regarding formal complaints against police officers until the investigation into those complaints is complete. This provision was added after a Connecticut State Police Union lawsuit attempted to block the release of names of troopers under investigation for falsifying traffic tickets.
The proposed law follows a series of events where state troopers were found to have fabricated hundreds of traffic tickets to gain better assignments, pay raises, promotions, or specialty vehicles. Among those implicated were Timothy Bentley, Noah Gouveia, Kevin Moore, and Daniel Richter. Although they were subjected to internal affairs investigations, their actions had largely avoided public scrutiny until recently.
An independent investigation by the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project, examining data from over 800,000 traffic infractions between 2014 and 2021, revealed discrepancies in the records. They found that at least 25,966 traffic stops recorded in the racial profiling database could not be corroborated, suggesting that as many as 58,000 records might have been falsified. Furthermore, the audit identified 311 troopers with “significant discrepancies,” ultimately narrowing the focus to 130 troopers for a more precise investigation.
In response to these findings, the Connecticut State Police initiated an investigation into the 130 troopers. Although officials claimed that no residents had received fake tickets, the revelations led to increased public scrutiny, resulting in the retirements of Commissioner James C. Rovella and Col. Stavros Mellekas, the state’s top two public safety officials. They were replaced by Commissioner Ronnell Higgins.
The Lamont administration commissioned an investigation, which found significant failures in the Connecticut State Police’s adherence to the state’s racial profiling law. Despite the issues revealed by the audit, the investigation suggested that the scope of intentional falsification was more limited than initially thought.
Some legislators, such as Rep. Craig Fishbein, a ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, noted that the initial allegations of widespread misconduct were not fully substantiated. Fishbein criticized the Connecticut State Police for taking so long to respond to the falsification issues, noting that the statute of limitations had expired, leaving no legal recourse against the four officers initially implicated.
Despite ongoing investigations, some lawmakers believe the State Police faced undue criticism during the process. Rep. Greg Howard, a ranking Republican on the Public Safety and Security Committee, praised the legislature for moving forward with the bill and hoped that it would encourage state troopers to focus on their duties.
House Bill 5055 now awaits approval in the Connecticut Senate.
