March 21, 2013

Newtown legislators call for interim report on Sandy Hook massacre

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In the wake of news leaks by State Police on previously undisclosed details about the Newtown shootings, Republicans today called upon the highest ranking uniformed member of the department to brief lawmakers as they craft much anticipated legislation.

House Republican Leader Larry Cafero said that Col. Danny R. Stebbins has an obligation to provide the details that he presented to fellow law enforcement officials at a recent public safety conference New Orleans. Initial details wound up in press reports in New York papers.

“As legislative leaders who are working every day to come forth with legislation I believe the state police are now obligated to brief us given that much of what was exchanged at the New Orleans conference wound up in the press,’’ Cafero said. “We don’t even have the benefit of potentially critical information that was obtained somehow by the media.’’

Stebbins, according to a police spokesman, disclosed the details at the conference not intending to have it reported in the press. Someone at the conference at the conference however did relay the information to the Daily News.

“We are making decisions based on the best information we have in front of us,’’ Cafero said. “One of the major concerns that I believe many of us had from the outset was that we would be putting this legislation together without ever having seen the police report on what took place. That is a huge issue.’’

“Knowing basic details on the context of this atrocity would truly strengthen the ability of public safety officials to make our communities safer as we await the final investigative report,” Rep. Dan Carter, R-2, said. “Making changes to gun violence, school safety and mental health policies without understanding the totality of circumstances surrounding the shooting limits our ability to prevent another brutal massacre.”

“It’s unfortunate that some of this information was release prematurely, but I want to thank Col. Stebbins and the State Police for their sensitivity and exhaustive work throughout this investigation,” Rep. Mitch Bolinsky, R-106 said. “With that said, I believe strongly that the efforts of the legislature and state law enforcement to prevent this unspeakable tragedy from ever happening again would be more effective if we had further information on the circumstances of the shooting.”

Cafero said that an interim report that does not have the final version of events would be helpful.