FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Rocky Hill, CT) - The Division of Criminal Justice today hosted a comprehensive seminar led by state and federal firearms and criminal justice experts that highlighted recent changes in Connecticut law addressing gun violence and provided training in the areas of law and science that impact prosecutors and their decision-making relating to gun offenses.
Prosecutors from the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney and the state’s 13 Judicial Districts participated in the seminar coordinated by Executive Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa M. D’Angelo, the Division’s Director of the Office of Ethics and Professional Standards, and held at the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney.
“The Division of Criminal Justice is putting the highest priority on the investigation and prosecution of firearms cases in an effort to reduce gun violence, particularly in Connecticut’s largest cities where statistics show the greatest number of gun-related crimes are impacting residents,” Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin said.
At today’s training, Executive Assistant State’s Attorney D’Angelo provided an overview of Public Act 23-53, An Act Addressing Gun Violence, recently enacted legislation introduced by Governor Ned Lamont, the mayors and police chiefs of Connecticut’s largest cities and other stakeholders in collaboration with the Division of Criminal Justice, that seeks to reduce gun violence. Provisions of the new law include targeting repeat serious firearm offenders by increasing bail, probation and parole responses, expanding the ban on ghost guns, restrictions on bulk purchases of guns, the implementation of gun-specific court dockets throughout the state, expanding Connecticut’s ban on assault weapons and stiffer criminal penalties for those convicted of violating the state’s ban on large-capacity magazines.
Lucinda Lopes-Phelan, Deputy Director of the Department of Emergency Services Division of Scientific Services, discussed the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network that automates ballistics evaluations and provides actionable investigative leads in a timely manner for investigators, and presented on the Crime Gun Intelligence Center Integration Initiative. Also from the Department of Emergency Services Division of Scientific Services, Deputy Director Sevasti Papakanakis presented on DNA collection regarding firearms and fired cartridge cases.
Sgt. Kyle Bombace of the Connecticut State Police and Detective Orlando Crespo of the New Haven Police Department discussed the Connecticut State Police Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force.
Special Agent Michael Oppenheim of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted a presentation on recent trends identified through gun seizures, including the proliferation of ghost guns and firearms created with the use 3D printers, and the growing use of Glock switches, small devices that can transform a semi-automatic handgun into a fully-automatic weapon.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Kaoutzanis offered a federal perspective on the prosecution of firearm-related offenses and Kyle Baudoin, Manager of Research and Planning for the Division of Criminal Justice, provided statewide data on firearm-related offenses.
Today’s training complements a series of new training initiatives implemented by Chief State’s Attorney Griffin and the State’s Attorneys following the creation in July 2022 of the Division’s new Office of Ethics and Professional Standards, headed by Executive Assistant State’s Attorney D’Angelo.