Sen. Sampson on CT Crime: “We need substantial action now”

Today Senator Rob Sampson (R-16) joined a House Republican press conference on the importance of enacting policies to restore our criminal justice system in light of the sharp uptick in crimes committed by juveniles.

Earlier today I was proud to support my Republican colleagues, Wolcott Mayor Tom Dunn, and Wolcott Chief of Police Ed Stephens in calling attention to the steady increase in juvenile crimes and the pressing need for action to combat it. The press conference was gentler on Hartford Democrats than necessary, probably in an effort to set the stage for a productive leadership meeting later today but the pressure from the public and local officials is becoming too huge for the majority to ignore.

I have fought tooth and nail against a decade-long parade of bad policies passed on party lines that undermine our criminal justice system including the early release of violent felons, restrictions on the use of force, prohibiting police chases, eliminating juvenile detention centers, and raising the age to be tried as a juvenile from 16 to 18, not to mention the more recent police accountability law and the permanent erasure of dozens of violent crimes. The crime wave facing Connecticut residents is the obvious and expected result.  The current prison population is half what it was only a few years ago, which is further proof that elected Democrats would rather invest taxpayer dollars formerly spent to house felons into expanding dependency programs and special interests rather than acknowledge that our primary responsibility as lawmakers is to preserve the public safety.

The bottom line is that legislative Democrats have blood on their hands.  They are caught.  You can now expect them to attempt to explain away the problem as resulting from Covid or some other excuse and they will most assuredly attempt to entrap Republicans in their culpability while failing to meaningfully address the problem.  Don’t fall for it. The sharp rise in violent crime is a direct result of the lack of consequences for juvenile offenders created by their lawmaking efforts – and reversing these bad laws is a matters of urgency. We need substantial action now before there are more innocent victims. I am hopeful the public will force real action to be taken and remember who is responsible for the mess we are in. Contact your nearest Democrat Representative and Senator and tell them to act.