HARTFORD – State Representative DebraLee Hovey (R-112) today called on the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Colonel Danny Stebbins, to postpone a planned consolidation of Troop A’s Southbury dispatch operations into Litchfield’s Troop L.
Rep. Hovey noted that the scheduled implementation would be tomorrow, May 4th, and asked that the consolidation be delayed for sixty days so legislators from the region served by these two State Police Troops could have adequate time to review the potential impact.
“While I think in these economic times we all appreciate an attempt to cut costs, I want to be certain that this consolidation doesn’t do so at the expense of public safety,” said Rep. Hovey. “We have not had adequate notification of this planned consolidation, and have no information on how this may or may not affect telephone services, police and emergency dispatch functions, staffing levels, or what the ramifications to public safety might be. I think we have a responsibility to review those facts before allowing this to go forward.”
Rep. Hovey expressed her hopes that DESPP, as well as the Malloy administration, would amenable to presenting that information to the legislature at the earliest possible date before implementation to allow for review and for the public to get information on the consolidation.
Rep. DebraLee Hovey represents the 112th General Assembly District covering Monroe and part of Newtown.
