With protests over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police serving as the backdrop, the Connecticut Bar Association decided it was time to look into police reform in the Nutmeg State.

At the suggestion of CBA President Ndidi Moses, the first-ever policing task force—comprised of 10 attorneys, 10 members with a law enforcement background and 10 members from the community—convened on June 19.

While task force members say its too early to talk about what recommendations will come from their work, they said just having the conversation is a positive step. Task force members also expressed optimism that long-awaited changes to policing will be addressed.

"It's so important that lawyers be a part of this conversation," said Moses, an assistant U.S. attorney based in New Haven. "Lawyers represent police departments and work closely with police departments. They often educate them on their obligations. If you are talking about police reform, I think our profession needs to be a part of that conversation."

Ndidi N. Moses president of Connecticut Bar Association. Ndidi Moses, president of Connecticut Bar Association.

Choosing June 19, or Juneteenth, to hold the first task force meeting was not a coincidence, Moses said. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.

"Juneteenth, for me, has always been a day to reflect on the past and prepare for the future and to ensure that the tenets of democracy are enforced for everyone," Moses said.

Preston Tisdale, a member of the task force and of counsel for Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder, said he's encouraged to see people of all races rally for police reform.

"I'd like the task force to address several things," Tisdale said. "They include, No. 1, police accountability. Police have to be held accountable for racially tinged bad acts. There also, I believe, needs to be training about the black experience, and that includes the history of police as occupiers and antagonists."

It's not just in the South and places like Minneapolis where police reform is needed," Tisdale said.

Tisdale noted the state's Criminal Justice Commission took the unprecedented step last week of  suspending without pay Hartford State's Attorney Gail Hardy for four days for her role in handling four police-involved shootings.

"Connecticut has a history," Tisdale said. "Georgia was considered to be the worst state for slaves during slavery and Connecticut was known as the Georgia of the north. There is a history of racism in Connecticut and that includes police departments in the state."

Alexis Smith, executive director of the New Haven Legal Assistance Association and one of three co-chairs of the task force, said the willingness of law enforcement to participate is promising.

"There are so many conversations around policing happening," Smith said. "We have a diverse group of individuals on the task force that bring a lot to the table in terms of experience in the community. They have diverse backgrounds and occupations and are diverse ethnically and that was pretty intentional."

Dialogue, Smith said, "is the first step."

"There is distrust, in general, within black and brown communities, of police," Smith said. "In addition, some people's interactions with police are not always welcoming. We see police patrolling some neighborhoods more than other neighborhoods."

The task force will sponsor a virtual town hall discussion on race on Wednesday after a virtual screening of the film "Justice on Trial: The Movie." The film explores issues of systematic racism in this country.

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