According to an independent report released on Thursday, sloppy record-keeping, mistakes and a lack of training are blamed for the Connecticut State Police false ticket scandal that might have skewed racial profiling data.
Gov Ned Lamont said the findings show only a few troopers were intentionally involved in the false ticket writing. Lamont commissioned Diedre Daly, a former U.S. attorney for Connecticut, to produce the report.
“The overwhelming majority were inadvertent problems, sloppiness. There were discrepancies but not falsifications,” he said.
Lamont added that technology might help reduce such mistakes.
"We now have terminals in all the trooper's cars, so this can now be done electronically, it doesn’t necessarily require the double input, the manual writing it down while you are standing next to a highway at high speeds. I think that will clean up a lot; in fact, it has cleaned up a lot of discrepancies,” Lamont said.
The report recommends six troopers and one constable be further investigated for potential falsification of traffic ticket data.
In the meantime, the State Police have placed the officers on modified administrative duty.
It also recommends an independent compliance officer be hired to oversee reforms at the State Police. Lamont said his administration will propose legislation to prevent further such behavior.
