FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2022
CONTACT
Jake Lewis
[email protected]
Hartford, CT – Under Governor Lamont, crime in Connecticut is trending down and picking up national recognition for record investments in public safety.
Gov. Lamont’s strong leadership and careful investments have made Connecticut one of the safest states in country, resulting in a collection of rankings and accolades:
Under Gov. Lamont, Connecticut has earned the fourth lowest violent crime rate in the country. [US News & World Report, accessed 1/5/22]
A spot among the top 10 safest states in the nation, as ranked by WalletHub. [WalletHub, 10/25/22]
And become the best place to be a police officer in the United States. [WalletHub, 5/9/22]
His efforts to address crime at every level– investing in robust recruitment efforts, provided funding for forensics labs and established prevention and diversion programs to stop crime at the root and preserve Connecticut’s status as one of the safest states in the country.
Hartford Courant: Headline, Hartford Courant: Crime in Connecticut continues downward trend in 2021 with violent crime, motor vehicle theft down, according to report [Hartford Courant]
Data from a report by the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shows that between 2020 and 2021, Connecticut experienced a:
3% reduction in overall crime;
9% reduction in violent crime; and a
2% reduction in property crimes.
Additionally, the report finds that over the last ten years overall crime in Connecticut has fallen 30%, including a 43% reduction in violent crime and a 29% reduction in property crime. [Office of the Governor, 9/26/22]
Gov. Lamont has taken action to ensure the state of Connecticut steps up to the plate for our communities and our officers in the effort to keep us all safe.
The most recent budget Gov. lamont signed into law makes landmark investments in crime prevention and reduction [Office of the Governor, 9/26/22]:
$11 million for law enforcement efforts tracing firearms, reducing stolen cars and violent crime, and promoting safety on rural roads;
$8 million for community and public health-led strategies to prevent and reduce gun violence;
$4 million to provide our officers with the latest forensic science technologies;
$18 million to help victims and survivors recover from crime through safety planning, crisis counseling and mental health treatment; and
$32 million to speed up the processing of court cases.
Gov. Lamont passed a bipartisan crime bill to address repeated motor vehicle theft. [CT Mirror, 4/28/22]
Funding for the Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection funding increased from $253.78 Million in 2018 to $547.79 Million in 2021. [CT Office of Comptroller, Accessed 7/14/22]
During Gov. Lamont’s tenure, Connecticut’s state and municipal police forces added 500 state and municipal officers in 2021, bringing the total amount trained in his first four years to nearly 1200 officers.
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