Current:Home > NewsTop Connecticut state police leaders retiring as investigators probe fake traffic ticket data claims -FinTechWorld
Top Connecticut state police leaders retiring as investigators probe fake traffic ticket data claims
View
Date:2025-04-12 17:13:47
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The top two leaders of Connecticut State Police will be stepping down in the middle of multiple investigations into whether troopers submitted bogus data on thousands of traffic stops that may have never happened, Gov. Ned Lamont said Wednesday.
State public safety Commissioner James Rovella and Col. Stavros Mellekas, commanding officer of state police, will be retiring, Lamont said at an unrelated news conference. A formal announcement was planned for later in the day.
The Democratic governor said Rovella and Mellekas were not being forced to leave, but he declined to elaborate further on the reasons and timing of their departures. He said more information would be released at the formal announcement.
“I think at the end of four years, you want a fresh start,” said Lamont, referring to his second term that began in January. “And I wanted that in a lot of my departments and I thought it was the right thing to do in public safety. There’s a lot of clearing of the air in public safety and I think some new folks will make a difference.”
Rovella and Mellekas were not immediately available for comment through a state police spokesperson, who did say had not been advised of the retirements.
U.S. Department of Justice investigators are looking into whether dozens of troopers falsified information about traffic stops that were never made. There also is an independent investigation ordered by Lamont that is being led by a former federal prosecutor.
The information in question was entered into a database that tracks the race and ethnicity of drivers stopped by police, under a Connecticut law aimed at preventing racial profiling.
Auditors said the alleged false data was more likely to identify motorists as white, which skewed the race and ethnicity data collected to compile statewide reports. The reports have shown nonetheless that Black and Hispanic drivers are pulled over at disproportionate rates compared with white motorists.
In August, the state police union voted no confidence in both Rovella and Mellekas, accusing them of not defending troopers against allegations involving the traffic stop data.
Rovella was confirmed by state lawmakers in February 2019 to serve as commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, which oversees state police. He’s been in law enforcement for four decades, including as a homicide detective and the chief for Hartford police.
Mellekas joined the state police as a trooper in 1994 and worked his way up to become commanding officer in 2019. He previously worked as a police officer at the U.S. Capitol.
An audit released by University of Connecticut data analysts in June found a “high degree of confidence” that troopers submitted false information on citations for at least 25,966 traffic stops, and possibly more than 58,000 stops, that may have never happened from 2014 to 2021.
Auditors said information on those stops could not be found in the state’s court system, which handles all traffic violations — leading to the conclusion that data was likely falsified.
Auditors said 130 troopers had “significant disparities” between the number of citations they sent to the court system and higher numbers entered into the race and ethnicity database. They said a total of 311 troopers had discrepancies in at least one of the years audited.
The data analysts, however, cautioned that they did not try to determine whether the records were intentionally falsified or were wrong due to carelessness or human error.
The Connecticut State Police Union has cautioned against making any conclusions about troopers’ conduct before the investigations are complete. It says more than two dozen troopers already have been cleared of wrongdoing in connection with the traffic citation data, and it expects more to be cleared.
Union officials have said many discrepancies found in the audit could be due to recordkeeping or data entry errors.
—-
Associated Press writer Susan Haigh in New London, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
veryGood! (94985)
Related
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Want to get better at being thankful? Here are some tips
- Are the Canadian wildfires still burning? Here's a status update
- Why Christine Quinn's Status With Chrishell Stause May Surprise You After Selling Sunset Feud
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- A stranger noticed Jackie Briggs' birthmark. It saved her life
- Mindy Kaling’s Swimwear Collection Is Equally Chic and Comfortable
- We asked, you answered: What precious object is part of your family history?
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Special counsel Jack Smith says he'll seek speedy trial for Trump in documents case
Ranking
- Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
- Her miscarriage left her bleeding profusely. An Ohio ER sent her home to wait
- Prospect of Chinese spy base in Cuba unsettles Washington
- Oil and Gas Quakes Have Long Been Shaking Texas, New Research Finds
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Don't Let These 60% Off Good American Deals Sell Out Before You Can Add Them to Your Cart
- Sorry Gen Xers and Millennials, MTV News Is Shutting Down After 36 Years
- Today’s Climate: August 14-15, 2010
Recommendation
Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
Wimbledon will allow women to wear colored undershorts, in nod to period concerns
6-year-old boy shoots infant sibling twice after getting hold of a gun in Detroit
Food insecurity is driving women in Africa into sex work, increasing HIV risk
Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
Cornell suspends frat parties after reports of drugged drinks and sexual assault
NOAA’s Acting Chief Floated New Mission, Ignoring Climate Change
In Georgia, Kemp and Abrams underscore why governors matter