State Rep. Aniskovich Supports State Police Contract, Joins Caucus in Offering Proposals to Improve Public Safety

HARTFORD – On a day when the House of Representatives vote on pay raises for Connecticut State Police, State Representative Chris Aniskovich (R-35) joined his House Republican colleagues to propose additional measures aimed at rectifying several issues included within the “police accountability” bill.

Rep. Aniskovich said supporting the contract is just the first step in the legislature doing more to retain police officers statewide by offering more competitive pay, increase the recruitment of individuals into the law enforcement field, and improve morale. Since 2010, the number of state police officers has dwindled from more than 1,100 to its current number of 888.

The four-year contract voted on by the legislature would address overtime, pay increases, changes to stipends, trainee pay, and other related matters.

“I’m proud to support the ratification of the state police union contract as we work to undo prior legislation which placed unjust burdens on our law enforcement officers, Rep. Aniskovich said. “I believe this contract will not only go a long way in bringing the officer pay structure to reasonable levels, but also show our support for the work that they do on a daily basis to keep our community and state safe.”

The House Republican proposals, HB-5361,  HB-5362, and HB-5363, would seek to restore an officer’s ability to perform consent searches during motor vehicle stops, protect law enforcement officers and municipalities in cases that involve qualified immunity, evaluate the use of force, allow police pursuit of property crime offenses, and create a fund to compensate families of officers who are killed in the line of duty to name a few.

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