Community Police Review Board Creation Re-Emerges Amid “Justice for Katherine Colon” Protests in New Britain

Family members and community activists organized a wave of protest comments at Wednesday’s New Britain City Council meeting calling for “Justice for Katherine Colon”. And they called for renewal of consideration of creating a community review board for the New Britain police that a previous Republican-controlled Council defeated in 2020.

In response, several Council members, all Democrats, said they will be bringing back consideration of a strong community police review board.

The speaking on behalf of Colon at the Council member was a continuation of a protest at the city Police Headquarters earlier this month in reaction to a February 24, 2024 report by State Attorney Maureen Platt clearing New Police officer Connor Reinsch of criminal liability in a case in which the police car driven by Reinsch struck and killed Katherine Colon. Family members and activists led a large protest last October in downtown New Britain calling for justice for Colon.

Platt, in her report, had concluded that there was insufficient evidence to charge Reinsch with a crime in the case. Her report had noted that he was traveling at, perhaps, 60 miles per hour on West Main Street, while traveling to a police call without his emergency lights on. Reinsch was quoted in saying that he was traveling to, “intercept an active burglary suspect” and that his attention was on another pedestrian he thought may be in medical distress when he struck Colon.

Platt’s conclusions were largely based on a state investigation that had concluded that it was Colon’s actions that, “were the causative factors for the collision, placing herself in unnecessary danger,” because, it said, she did not use the crosswalk and crossed the street diagonally, wore dark clothing and that she was intoxicated.

Speaking at Wednesday’s Council meeting, Colon’s daughters and niece, and a number of community members and activists railed against the report, calling it, “disgusting and sick”, that the investigation into the case would conclude that Colon, rather than Reinsch, was at fault in her death.

Community activist Alicia Strong and others called for the officer to be fired and arrested. Family members asked Council members to imagine if it happened to their loved ones and asked what Council members were going to do about the case.

They were joined in support by Bridgeport City Council member Jazmarie Melendez (D-138).

After the public speaking session, several Council members spoke to offer support.

Ald. Nate Simpson (D-1) expressed solidarity with community concerns about the case, and pledged to bring up the community review board proposal.

Council President Pro-Tempore Ald. Francisco Santiago (D-5) said his and the Colon family are friends. He called on Police Chief Matthew Marino to take some action to address the concerns of Colon’s family. He said he was a part of the effort to win approval of a community review board before, noting that it needs have subpoena powers.

Ald. Wilma Barbosa (D-2) said that too many people are dying from excessing auto speeds. She said that speed bumps should be considered, though not a complete solution.

Ald. Candyce Scott (D-3) said that blaming the victim is absurd, and that the incident leaves her angry, disgusted and saddened. She said she stands with the activists on creation of a community review board for police.

Ald. Lori McAdam (D-2) agreed with the concerns about victim blaming.

Council Majority Leader John McNamara said that there will be a review of policies, procedures and rules of conduct, and that a review board is to be considered again.

In 2020, the-then Republican-majority Council voted down, on a Council committee, a Democratic proposal to create a strong community police review board.

That year, momentum grew for the creation of a community review board for the city’s Police as massive protests occurred nationwide, including in New Britain, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. City Republicans’ response was for a weaker civilian review board plan that was wide derided for being advisory-only, appointed entirely by the mayor and lacking authority to effectively investigate alleged police misconduct.

Council Democrats, led by Ald. Santiago, proposed a stronger version of a community review board to create a review board empowered to initiate its own investigations, expressly give the board power to issue subpoenas for evidence and compel witnesses and expand the valid reasons why people can file complaints with the review board. While still leaving the board advisory, the Democratic proposal would have changed from the Republicans’ plan for it to be appointed all by the mayor, to one appointed by both Republicans and Democrats on the Council.

All of the Republicans on the City Council’s Consolidated Committee voted down the Democrats’ proposal in October of 2020.

In the 2023 election, Democrats were elected to an 8 to 7 majority on the Council.

Editor’s note (3/15/2024): The article was updated to clarify Ald. Simpson’s comments. Apologies for any error.