First enacted in 1999, Connecticut's anti-racial profiling law, The Alvin W. Penn Racial Profiling Prohibition Act (Public Act 99-198), prohibits any law enforcement agency from stopping, detaining, or searching any motorist when the stop is motivated solely by considerations of the race, color, ethnicity, age, gender or sexual orientation of that individual (Connecticut General Statutes Sections 54-1l and 54-1m). During the 2012 and 2013 legislative sessions the Connecticut General Assembly made several changes to this law to create a system to address racial profiling concerns in Connecticut.

Police agencies collected traffic stop information based on requirements outlined in the original 1999 Alvin W. Penn law through September 30, 2013. As of October 1, 2013, police agencies were required to submit traffic stop data for analysis under the new methods outlined by the Office of Policy and Management. The Alvin W. Penn law gives authority to the Secretary of the Office of Police and Management if municipal police departments, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) and other police departments fail to comply with the law to order appropriate penalties in the form of withholding of state funds.

Kenneth Barone, Project Manager

To learn more, please visit the CTRP3 website.