- Local time
- 10:36 AM
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2012
- Messages
- 60,252
- Reaction score
- 210,260
- Location
- Maskachusetts
(WFSB) - Hundreds of Connecticut State Police troopers may have falsified thousands of traffic tickets.
A recent audit found nearly 26,000 fake tickets.
An internal investigation found troopers did this for their own personal benefit. Troopers who appear productive are often eligible for federally funded overtime.
Lawmakers are demanding answers, and Governor Ned Lamont said those who intentionally did this should be let go, including management.
The audit found troopers falsified nearly 26,000 traffic tickets and more than 32,000 were inaccurate.
Ken Barone with the Public Policy Institute at UConn pushed for the audit after an internal investigation found four troopers had falsified tickets.
“There’s no evidence these are real people,” said Barone.
Barone said this has raised concerns about skewing racial profiling data.
“The unmatched records were more likely to be white drivers, identified as white individuals, and the records that should have been likely reported to the system and were not, were more likely to be Hispanic motorists or motorists of some other race,” Barone said.
It’s possible hundreds of state troopers falsified thousands of tickets.
“If people were not investigating this thoroughly, if they knew there were purposeful mistakes, not mistakes but purposely representing what was going on, those people should go and I think their management should take a look at themselves as well,” said Lamont.
Lawmakers are holding a hearing next Thursday, July 27.
“Losing the lack of trust of the public in a situation like this has dire consequences for our sense of public safety,” said state Rep. Jason Rojas (D – Majority Leader).
“It is yet another example of how easy it is to find this kind of fraud or false statements and misconduct because of technology,” said Mike Lawlor, criminal justice expert.
Some of these troopers may face criminal charges. Forgery is a felony.
Time is running out. There is a statute of limitations, in this case five years.
Some want to know why it’s taking so long for prosecutors to decide whether to bring charges.
Hundreds of CT state troopers may have falsified thousands of traffic tickets
Hundreds of Connecticut State Police troopers may have falsified thousands of traffic tickets.
www.wfsb.com