Governor Ned Lamont issued the following statement in response to the release on Monday of Connecticut’s annual crime statistics report for 2022.
Prepared by the Connecticut Dept of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Crime Analysis Unit, the annual report compiles data on crimes reported to law enforcement agencies in the state during each calendar year.
“This report demonstrates that Connecticut continues to be one of the safest states in the country, with violent and property crimes down from the previous year and below or trending toward pre-pandemic levels,” Governor Lamont said. “Any instance of crime in our state is unacceptable, and we will continue to improve our public safety record by prioritizing smart on crime policies, gun safety, and support for our most vulnerable residents.”
Background on the report
The annual report is created by the Crimes Analysis Unit of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and is now in its 45th year of publication. It is the most comprehensive source of crime-related data for the state.
Data from the report released today shows that between 2021 and 2022, Connecticut experienced a:
- 4% reduction in overall crime;
- 13% reduction in violent crime, including a 13% reduction in homicides and an 18% reduction in robberies; and a
- 3% reduction in property crimes.
Additionally, the report finds that over the last ten years overall crime in Connecticut has fallen 26%, including a 41% reduction in violent crime and a 23% reduction in property crime.
Background on recent public safety initiatives
During the last five years, the Connecticut State Police Training Academy has graduated 376 new state troopers through seven training troops. The 134th Training Troop is currently in progress and anticipated to graduate an additional 32 new state troopers by the end of January 2024. The Connecticut State Police plans to commence the 135th Training Troop in February 2024, which will graduate in August 2024. The recruitment for the 136th Training Troop will begin in November and the class will graduate in 2025.
Bipartisan legislation Connecticut enacted this year, following introduction by Governor Lamont, targets further reductions in violent crime and gun violence. Public Act 23-53 (An Act Addressing Gun Violence) makes communities safer by closing loopholes in existing gun safety laws, banning the open carry of firearms, cracking down on ghost guns and bulk purchases, expanding safe storage laws, and keeping guns out of the hands of bad actors and high-risk repeat offenders.
Connecticut is also employing a public health and community-centered approach, by providing the Department of Public Health’s gun violence prevention program in the FY 2024-2025 budget with $7.8 million to support grants to community violence intervention programs plus $12 million in bond authorization for communities and nonprofit organizations to complete capital projects. Another $9.5 million is provided for the Project Longevity gun violence reduction program along with $5 million for housing vouchers for populations at risk of gun violence.
Other community safety items in the FY 2024 and 2025 budget appear below.
Services and added protections for crime victims
- $33.2 million to fill the gap in federal Victims of Crime Act Assistance funding.
- $6.0 million for enhanced GPS monitoring, including high-risk populations with domestic violence charges.
Investments in prevention and services for system-involved youth
- $12.0 million for juvenile review boards to assess at-risk youth and connect them to services.
- $10.9 million for youth violence intervention programming.
- $14.6 million for prevention programs for at-risk youth.
Support for court system operations and personnel
- $17.6 million to increase assigned counsel rates.
- $4.2 million for judicial salaries to help with recruitment and retention.
- $1.3 million to modernize and upgrade courthouse security and technology.
Support for emergency services and public safety
- $34.9 million for the Connecticut State Police wage agreements to recruit and retain state troopers.
- $1.6 million to support State Forensic Science Laboratory operations.