Lamont Signs Motor Vehicle Theft Bill Into Law: 5 Things To Know

CONNECTICUT ? Gov. Ned Lamont signed a bill into law that aims to address motor vehicle theft by juveniles.

Lamont introduced legislation at the beginning of the legislative session to address juvenile crime. Many of those proposals made it into the final bill.

Most parts of the law will go into effect Oct. 1.

How does the law change arrests for juveniles?

Juveniles who are criminally charged, but not detained, need to be brought before a court within five business days.

The law also increases the amount of time youth can be held by police from six to eight hours while they wait for a judicial detention ruling or are trying to locate a parent/guardian.

Courts will be able to order GPS monitoring for youth charged with two or more separate motor vehicle offenses.

Homicide and firearm crimes will be added to the special juvenile probation docket.

Motor vehicle theft charges

The law also establishes a new separate penalty for motor vehicle thefts with escalating consequences based on the number of offenses.

Previously, motor vehicle thefts were charged as larcenies and the severity of potential penalties depending on the value of the vehicle stolen.

Have car thefts increased?
Car thefts sharply increased in 2020, but preliminary data suggests there were fewer in 2021, according to the CT Mirror.

Car thefts peaked in 1991 at more than 26,000 reported incidents and reached a low of fewer than 6,000 in 2019. The number in 2020 was about the same as 2008.

Thefts in 2021 deceased between 4 and 10 percent, according to preliminary data. Data won't be finalized until later this year.

Additional funding

The separate budget adjustment bill added funding for public safety measures, including:

• $11.4 million to trace recovered firearms to their source, reduce car thefts, support communities that are experiencing high crime, and promote safety on rural roads.
• $7.5 million for community and public-health-led strategies to prevent and reduce gun violence.
• $4.1 million to upgrade forensic science technology.
• $3.3 million for at-risk juvenile services and diversion programs.

Who supported the bill?

The bill received widespread bipartisan support. It passed the House 129-17 and the Senate 35-1.

It also received support from police departments across the state.

?It gives law enforcement some great tools that are going to assist us in investigations, and in some cases prevention,? Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said at a news conference.