The black line at center of map is where Park Avenue turns into Brooklawn, the border with Fairfield. Bridgeport streets in blue at right are part of new 133rd State House District.
A slice of Bridgeport’s western border is now part of the Fairfield-dominant 133rd State House District where Republican Michael Grant is challenging Democratic incumbent Cristin McCarthy Vahey, a reflection of the city’s growing population crafted by a state redistricting commission that also placed City Councilman Marcus Brown into the 127th District jump-starting his Democratic primary victory over incumbent Jack Hennessy.
Grant, married with two children in Fairfield public schools, operates his family-owned logistics company in Stamford. He embraces a libertarian streak much like Republican Congressional candidate Jayme Stevenson, challenging Jim Himes, eschewing the MAGA dogma dominant in red districts.
Grant and Stevenson also will appear on the Independent Party line.
Grant is building bona fides with a focus on individual rights, local control and law enforcement, receiving endorsement from leadership of the Bridgeport Police Union Local 1159 that joined the rank and file of many Connecticut departments condemning portions of the 2020 police accountability act that critics assert goes to far, handcuffing cops in performance of duty.
The legislation came on the heels of several high-profile national police altercations involving injury and death to civilians.
Statement from Grant:
My opponent has failed the community by supporting the Police “Accountability” Act, and refuses to acknowledge the bad parts of this bill that have resulted in impeding law enforcement’s ability to proactively do their job and keep our community safe. Our police deserve to have the same assurances on the job for safety that they provide for us in our community, and we must bring back qualified immunity. Safety is key, the incumbent has failed us. Ask around, your likelihood of knowing someone who has been the victim of a neighborhood crime has increased. I personally experienced a car theft in my own driveway. I am proud to say my advocacy for safe communities has earned me the endorsement of the both the Connecticut Fraternal Order of Police, and the Bridgeport Police Union, Local 1159.
Someone robs this dork’s car because he left his key fob in it, then blames it on Cristin McCarthy Vahey for not being Tough Enough on crime?
By bypassing qualified immunity, but paying out judgments assessed against the officers, Colorado’s new law ensures that victims are made whole and that good cops aren’t deterred from doing their jobs.
— Nick Sibilla
Lennie,
Police Accountability? Shouldn’t those folks trained in certain laws, permitted to carry weapons in public, and outfitted to maintain public safety including their own, be accountable? In 2020 AN ACT CONCERNING POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY was passed by the CT legislature. HB6004 The first page of the PUBLIC ACT SUMMARY refers to Accountability and Transparency, two of my favorite subjects. Why not open the field and have a community discusssion of what the Act covers, why a politician objects or favors some or all of it, and whether comprehensive coverage has occurred in the City Police Force? Time will tell.
John, I agree with you on accountability. I’ll will differ on transparency. To quote Judge Lopez, “nobody really wants to see how the sausage is made”.😅 While I didn’t read the the sausage, Accountability Act, I do not agree with removing qualified immunity for officers. The easy ability to sue officers in the performance of their job can really deteriorate a police force, that will have tremendous effects on the community their policing, especially in urban communities, and not for the better. Not to mention it will just shift the financial burden to police officers, the City, and the departments in acquiring liability insurance to shield officers from such lawsuits as part of their contract negoiation. To go back to tinted windows and officers getting shot in their patrol car. It is in part of the media demonization of the police, but their actions and a lack of accountability gives them the fuel to do so. To Garcia’s credit from what I gather there has been great efforts in discipline officers for and their behavioral actions in performing their duties which has contributed to the lower morale among officers within the police department. As well as criticism for her disciplinary actions that seems to be uneven between black, white,and Latino officers. That hadn’t led to a few officers being fired. Which was unheard of a few years ago. That being said, I still stand by my opinion that any lawsuit the city pays out for an officer or officres of because misconduct in the performance should be attached to some disciplinary action against that officer or officers. JS
Had led to a few officer fierd. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOQbNZ5ccd4
PS if people, activist community leaders or elected officials truly care about policing and the communities they serve, politics would be at a minimum, and they would not only calling out police abusive behavior, but support the police when their actions are appropriate/ warranted. As of now in the current state of affairs on policing and politics you don’t see much of that regardless of the encounter with the police It’s always on the negative side. It’s funny how everybody’s talking about community policing but once politics gets involved it’s a different game. Take that scenario where a cop who is disciplined for 5 years on administratived duty for domestic violence went back on the force patrolling and was at a community event and was demonized in the news by local organizations, activists, religious leaders based on his race, whiteness, and his domestic violence charge , 5 years prior , on a white person and the assumption of what he will do to people of color. So I ask, is it really about community policing? Hell, is it really even about religion, God? Keep that in mind at the next Sunday service, Sabbath or whatever day you hold reference. JS
In what way is this guy not a stock MAGA candidate? Libertarians don’t believe in unchecked power for law enforcement, the pinnacle of state power.
And it remains to be explained how the police accountability bill stops police from catching car thieves.
Generally, catching a car thief is only after the fact, which involves a pursuit. Part of the “reform/accountability act clarion call is measures attached outside of addressing police abusive behavior and accountability for such behavior that spills over into proactive measures in policing like funding/defunding.
When we have failing schools that are not living up to expectations you never hear the word defund it. 🙂
Libs tend to sell the pie in the sky, based on emotional sentiment to sure up their political philosophical base of beliefs to garner support/followers. I mean who/political party really doesn’t believe in unchecked power for law enforcement? Other than one political party saying this political party doesn’t. There the bad guy 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW37AGZ0Pj0&list=RDLVdW37AGZ0Pj0&start_radio=1&rv=dW37AGZ0Pj0&t=35
Take the mayhem issues with quads and dirtbikes on city streets. The quality of life needed to be addressed because of it. The city council fined gas stations that served them, yet people still opposed it too based on the politics of it. Like they are just kids enjoying themselves. For the most part, there are been there, done that, had quad and motorcycle.
However back then I and like today’s youth are not thinking about the mayhem created. Nothing generally positive ever comes from massive youths riding, motor motorcycles, dirt bikes, and quads haphazardly on city streets. Always someone crashing or something. Look what took place at the gas station this year.
Though it is a fine line between proactive policing, abusive policing, and activism for such, that has to be threaded. JS
P.S what the F$%K does PETA and not eating meat have to do with police accountability? 🤣
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx9cxoAGEPI
Oh, Libertarian, my bad. Got ya. 😂
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1094886361227109/?s=single_unit
Yeah I dunno, are the police saying we can’t catch car thieves without breaking the law? I just don’t see how one is connected to the other.
I get that someone is mad that his car got broken into and they didn’t catch the people who did it but not sure why that’s a grievance he lays at the feet of his state rep