The Department of Justice will conduct their own review of an audit that found as many as 26,000 tickets Connecticut state troopers issued included falsified information.
In September 2022, the Division of Criminal Justice referred the matter to the Department of Justice for their own independent review. About a month ago, the DCJ suspended its investigation at the request of the DOJ.
The DCJ was investigating alleged discrepancies in state police data reporting identified by the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project's audit of traffic stop data.
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"As the head of the Division of Criminal Justice, my election to have our investigative team stand down in response to the DOJ request was made after careful consideration, and reflects a real concern that simultaneous state and federal investigations would involve unnecessary duplication of efforts that could complicate and/or compromise the overall investigation," Chief State's Attorney Patrick Griffin said in a statement.
Griffin said the DOJ "brings the tools and resources necessary to conduct a thorough and independent investigation."
Hundreds of Connecticut state police troopers falsified information on at least 26,000 traffic stops from 2014 to 2021, skewing reports on the race and ethnicity of pulled-over motorists, according to the audit.
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