Gov. Ned Lamont was joined by local leaders, state lawmakers, law enforcement officials and advocates at a West Hartford synagogue on Monday for a ceremonial signing of a bill designed to strengthen Connecticut’s hate crime laws.
“Hate crimes are on the rise nationwide, and many communities feel that the federal government is emboldening hate speech and discrimination against them,” Lamont said. “I feel it’s critical that our state take every step we can to protect these communities from acts of hate, and that means ensuring the laws on our books have teeth.”
Chief State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin told the crowd at Congregation Beth Israel that Connecticut’s hate crime laws had historically been scattered throughout the state’s general statutes, sometimes making things confusing for the justice system. He said the new law brings the relevant statutes together into one section of the penal code.
“Consolidating these laws into one coherent chapter of our penal code will make it easier for police and prosecutors to identify hate-motivated offenses, for courts to adjudicate them, and for the public to comprehend the protections that are afforded to them by law,” Griffin said.
“I want to make this point very clear: This is not merely administrative housekeeping,” Griffin said. “Consolidation is a vital and practical step to enhance enforcement, efficiency, public awareness, and ensure that hate crimes are recognized and addressed with the urgency that they demand.”
The bill passed the Connecticut General Assembly with strong bipartisan support, which speaker Tara Cook-Littman with the Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut highlighted.
“When Democrats and Republicans stand together to say that hate has no place in Connecticut, our entire state is stronger for it, and this is something we do not take for granted,” Cook-Littman said.
The ceremonial bill signing ceremony coincided with the launch of a public messaging campaign from the governor’s Hate Crimes Advisory Council.
“The campaign is designed to help residents recognize that crimes and bias incidents do occur, to help them to help us as government officials understand their impact, and know how and where to report them,” said Ken Barone, a member of the advisory council and associate director of the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at the University of Connecticut.
“If a crime has occurred, call 911. Your police know how to handle it,” Barone said. “But if something occurred that maybe didn't rise to that level, we want you to go to reporthate.ct.gov. … Better data will allow us to have a better response, and it will allow the state to better address bias and discrimination proactively before it escalates to a serious criminal incident.”
The Connecticut State Police welcomed the new law, said Ronnell Higgins, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.
“This will help,” Higgins said. “I will always tell you enforcement is essential, and the same is true for stronger laws, but there is more than just this. Success rests on building trust in promoting public education.”
“Our communities must understand the difference between hateful conduct and criminal conduct,” he said. “Working together, we will continue to make Connecticut one of the safest states in the land.”
