Reducing state police at casinos

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- The State is reducing the number of State Troopers at casinos. Tribal police will be taking over most of the policing and not everyone likes the way it's being done.

The big question is will it be safe to go to the casinos?

Ever since the the casinos opened about twenty years ago there has been a force of Connecticut State Troopers assigned to them but you may have never noticed because they did not wear their uniforms.

It was agreed that even though the casinos are on tribal lands and are technically soverign nations, state laws apply to everyone so state police were in charge of law enforcement.

But now the state is in the process of greatly reducing the numbers of troopers so that the tribal police force can take over many of those duties to help both the tribes and the state save money.

"The best analogy is the Yale Police department, the University of New Haven Police Department, which are private employer police departments, which meet all of the state standards, and as a result, they have full law enforcement authority," said the Governor's Criminal Justice Advisor Mike Lawlor.

The legislature's Public Safety Committee is giving the green light to allowing the State Police to negotiate the deal.

"A number of legislators would like to see more state troopers on our major highways throughout the state of Connecticut and I think it's a win, win for both," said Democratic Rep. Steve Dargan, Public Safety Committee.

But the State Police Union thinks lawmakers should see the details of the deal before approving it.

"The worst thing that could happen is that someone go down there and there's a crime and it's not reported or it's not acted upon and right now, we believe that it's a safe environment," said Sgt. Andy Matthews, State Police Union.

But the Malloy adminstration says the tribal police departments will be certified just like municipal and other departments. The chief state's attorney tells News 8 there's no reason not to move forward with the plan if the tribal police officers are properly trained.

"And recognize their obligation to recognize, obey and support the laws of the State of Connecticut and the Constitution of the State of Connecticut," said Kevin Kane, Chief State's Attorney.