CHAPTER 536
ORGANIZED CRIME INVESTIGATIVE TASK FORCE.
REGIONAL NARCOTICS SQUADS
AND COORDINATING COMMITTEE

      Sec. 29-165. Advisory Committee on Organized Crime Prevention and Control. Naming of director of organized crime investigative task force. Expenses. Section 29-165 is repealed.

      (P.A. 73-592, S. 2, 3, 15; P.A. 74-183, S. 173, 291; P.A. 76-436, S. 153, 681; P.A. 77-614, S. 486, 518, 610; P.A. 80-225; P.A. 81-472, S. 59, 159; P.A. 82-201, S. 3, 4.)

      Sec. 29-166. Director of task force to appoint personnel; contracts for services. (a) The director of the state-wide organized crime investigative task force shall serve at the pleasure of the Commissioner of Public Safety and shall assume the duties and responsibilities of the position of head of the state-wide organized crime investigative task force. He may employ, and at his pleasure remove, with the approval of the Commissioner of Public Safety, such persons as he deems necessary for the performance of his duties under this chapter, none of whom shall hold any elective public office in the state or any political subdivision thereof.

      (b) The director of the state-wide organized crime investigative task force may contract for such services as he deems necessary in the performance of his duties. Such contracts shall be in accordance with state regulations.

      (P.A. 73-592, S. 4, 15; P.A. 77-614, S. 486, 610; P.A. 82-201, S. 2, 4.)

      History: P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of state police with commissioner of public safety, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 82-201 amended Subsec. (a) by specifying that the director of the state-wide organized crime investigative task force serves at the pleasure of the commissioner of public safety.

      Cited. 204 C. 609.

      Sec. 29-167. Investigations by task force. The state-wide organized crime investigative task force shall have the duty and power to conduct and coordinate investigations in connection with: (1) The faithful execution and effective enforcement of the laws of the state, with particular reference to those laws controlling organized crime and racketeering; (2) the conduct of public officers and public employees, and of officers and employees of public corporations and authorities; and (3) any matter concerning the public peace, public safety and public justice. With respect to the performance of its functions, duties and powers, the state-wide organized crime investigative task force shall be authorized to conduct any investigation authorized by this section at any place within the state and to function at any place within the state as it may deem necessary.

      (P.A. 73-592, S. 5, 15.)

      Cited. 204 C. 609.

      Sec. 29-168. Reservation of powers. Nothing contained in section 29-167 shall be construed to supersede, repeal or limit any power, duty or function of the executive department or any other department or agency of the state, or any political subdivision thereof, as prescribed or defined by law.

      (P.A. 73-592, S. 7, 15.)

      Cited. 204 C. 609.

      Sec. 29-169. Cooperation with task force by governmental units. Agreements with other states. Cooperation with federal authorities. Referral of evidence of crime or misconduct. (a) The state-wide organized crime investigative task force may duly request and may receive from every department, division, board, bureau, commission or other agency of the state, or of any political subdivision thereof, cooperation and assistance in the performance of its duties, including the temporary assignment of personnel to the state-wide organized crime investigative task force which might be necessary in order to carry out its duties and responsibilities.

      (b) The state-wide organized crime investigative task force may enter into mutual assistance and cooperation agreements with other states pertaining to those law enforcement matters extending across the boundaries of the state into other states; and may consult and exchange information with officers and agencies of other states with respect to law enforcement problems of mutual concern.

      (c) The task force shall cooperate with departments and officers of the United States government in the investigation of violations of the federal laws within this state.

      (d) Whenever it appears to the director of the state-wide organized crime investigative task force that there is cause for prosecution for a crime, or for the removal of a public officer for misconduct, he shall refer the evidence of such crime or misconduct to the Chief State's Attorney.

      (P.A. 73-592, S. 6, 15.)

      Cited. 204 C. 609.

      Sec. 29-170. Disclosure of records of task force. Records of the state-wide organized crime investigative task force shall be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-200, to the same extent as records of other law enforcement agencies.

      (P.A. 73-592, S. 9, 15; P.A. 88-227, S. 1, 4; P.A. 97-47, S. 33.)

      History: P.A. 88-227 entirely replaced prior provisions which authorized the task force, in order to keep the public informed re organized crime, to disseminate such information as it deemed appropriate with provision that the records of the task force shall be subject to disclosure under chapter 3 to the same extent as records of other law enforcement agencies, effective July 1, 1989; P.A. 97-47 substituted reference to "the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in Sec. 1-18a" for "chapter 3".

      Discretion conferred in statute discussed; information within provisions of section is not subject to freedom of information act disclosure provisions of Sec. 1-19(a). 204 C. 609.

      Sec. 29-171. Illegal disclosure of information; class A misdemeanor. Any person conducting or participating in any investigation under this chapter who discloses to any person other than the director or a member of the state-wide organized crime investigative task force or the advisory committee the name of any informant or any information obtained or given upon any investigation, except as directed by the director of the state-wide organized crime investigative task force, shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

      (P.A. 73-592, S. 8, 15.)

      Cited. 204 C. 609.

      Sec. 29-172. Impounding exhibits. Court order directing disposal of. Upon the application of the director of the state-wide organized crime investigative task force, the Superior Court or any judge thereof may impound any exhibit held in connection with an investigation conducted by the state-wide organized crime investigative task force and may order such exhibit to be retained by, or delivered to and placed in the custody of, the state-wide organized crime investigative task force. When so impounded, such exhibit or exhibits shall not be taken from the custody of the state-wide organized crime investigative task force except upon further order of the court or a judge thereof made upon five days' notice to the state-wide organized crime investigative task force or upon the application of said task force or with its consent. The provisions of this section shall be subject to the provisions of section 54-33f.

      (P.A. 73-592, S. 10, 15.)

      Cited. 204 C. 609.

      Secs. 29-173 to 29-175. Regional crime squads; formation; existing agreements; mandatory provisions in agreements. Coordinating and supervisory body of chiefs of police, duties and powers; police officers, assignment, powers, duties and immunities. State-Wide Enforcement Coordinating Committee; membership; powers and duties; financing; report to Drug Advisory Council; existing coordinating committee. Sections 29-173 to 29-175, inclusive, are repealed.

      (P.A. 73-592, S. 11-15; P.A. 74-71, S. 1-5; P.A. 76-400, S. 5, 7.)

      Sec. 29-176. State-wide narcotics task force; formation; authority; state, federal and local assistance. (a) There shall be within the Division of State Police within the Department of Public Safety a state-wide narcotics task force for the effective cooperative enforcement of the laws of this state concerning the manufacture, distribution, sale and possession of narcotics and controlled substances.

      (b) The task force shall be authorized to conduct any investigation authorized by this section at any place within the state as may be deemed necessary.

      (c) The task force may request and may receive from any federal, state or local agency, cooperation and assistance in the performance of its duties, including the temporary assignment of personnel which may be necessary to carry out the performance of its functions.

      (d) It may enter into mutual assistance and cooperation agreements with other states pertaining to narcotics law enforcement matters extending across state boundaries, and may consult and exchange information and personnel with agencies of other states with reference to narcotics law enforcement problems of mutual concern.

      (e) The Commissioner of Public Safety may appoint a commanding officer and such other personnel as he deems necessary for the duties of the task force, within available appropriations.

      (f) All vehicles and equipment and office and other supplies of the regional narcotics squads and the unencumbered balance of any funds received by such regional squads for their operation shall be transferred to the Division of State Police.

      (P.A. 76-400, S. 1, 7; P.A. 77-487, S. 1, 5; 77-614, S. 486, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136.)

      History: P.A. 77-487 replaced regional narcotics squads with state-wide narcotics force deleting provisions concerning size and boundaries of regional squads, supervision of squads by coordinating committee, i.e. former Subsec. (c), relettering remaining Subsecs. accordingly and adding Subsecs. (e) and (f); P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 replaced state police department and commissioner with commissioner of public safety and division of state police within the department of public safety, effective January 1, 1979.

      Cited. 227 C. 363.

      Sec. 29-177. Special state police. Task force duties. Compensation. Indemnification. (a) The Commissioner of Public Safety may from time to time select such number of police personnel of any municipality of the state to act temporarily as special state policemen to carry out the duties of the task force as he deems necessary. Such policemen shall be appointed from a list of names of persons recommended to the State-Wide Narcotics Task Force Policy Board by the chiefs of police of the municipalities and approved by said board.

      (b) Each municipality shall be responsible for the full payment of the compensation of personnel temporarily assigned to the state-wide narcotics task force and such salary shall be payable to such assigned personnel while on duty with said task force.

      (c) For purposes of indemnification of such personnel and its municipalities against any losses, damages or liabilities arising out of the service and activities of the task force, personnel while assigned to, and performing the duties of, the task force shall be deemed to be acting as employees of the state.

      (P.A. 76-400, S. 2, 7; P.A. 77-487, S. 2, 5; 77-614, S. 486, 610; P.A. 87-452.)

      History: P.A. 77-487 deleted provisions re regional narcotics squads, their supervisory boards and the state narcotics enforcement coordinating committee and inserted provisions re special state policemen appointed to carry out duties of task force; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of state police with commissioner of public safety, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 87-452 amended Subsec. (c) to provide, for purposes of indemnification, that personnel assigned to and performing duties of the task force shall be deemed to be acting as state employees, not as municipal employees.

      Sec. 29-178. Police officers. Powers, duties and immunities. Any municipal police officer, while assigned to duty with the task force and working at the direction of the Commissioner of Public Safety or his designee, shall, when acting within the scope of his authority, have the same powers, duties, privileges and immunities as are conferred upon him as a state police officer.

      (P.A. 76-400, S. 3, 7; P.A. 77-487, S. 3, 5; 77-614, S. 486, 610.)

      History: P.A. 77-487 amended section to reflect replacement of regional narcotics squads with state-wide task force; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of state police with commissioner of public safety, effective January 1, 1979.

      Sec. 29-179. State-Wide Narcotics Task Force Policy Board. (a) There shall be a State-Wide Narcotics Task Force Policy Board, within the Division of State Police and within the Department of Public Safety for administrative purposes only, consisting of the Commissioner of Public Safety, the Chief State's Attorney, the agent in Connecticut in charge of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association and five chiefs of police designated by said association, each to serve for a term of one year, provided one such chief of police shall be from a municipality with a population of one hundred thousand or more.

      (b) The policy board shall direct and supervise the formulation of policies and operating procedures and shall coordinate the activities of the task force with other law enforcement agencies within and without the state.

      (c) The policy board may apply for and shall administer any federal, state, local or private appropriations or grant funds made available for the operation of the task force.

      (d) All equipment and office and other supplies of the state narcotics coordinating committee and the unencumbered balance of any funds received by said committee for the operation of the regional narcotic squads shall be transferred to the Division of State Police for the use of the state-wide narcotics task force.

      (P.A. 76-400, S. 4, 7; P.A. 77-487, S. 4, 5; 77-614, S. 486, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-560, S. 14, 39; P.A. 96-180, S. 157, 166.)

      History: P.A. 77-487 replaced state narcotics enforcement coordinating committee with state-wide narcotics task force policy board and regional narcotics squads with state-wide task force, amending section accordingly; P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 made state police department a division within the department of public safety and replaced state police commissioner with commissioner of public safety, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-560 placed policy board within department of public safety for "administrative" rather than "fiscal and budgetary" purposes; P.A. 96-180 made technical change in Subsec. (a), replacing "Chiefs of Police Association" with "Police Chiefs Association", effective June 3, 1996.

      See Sec. 4-38f for definition of "administrative purposes only".

      Secs. 29-179a to 29-179e. Reserved for future use.

      Sec. 29-179f. State Urban Violence and Cooperative Crime Control Task Force. Powers. Municipality to petition for assistance. Use of municipal personnel. Indemnification. (a) There shall be in the Division of State Police within the Department of Public Safety a State Urban Violence and Cooperative Crime Control Task Force that shall conduct and coordinate investigations in connection with crimes of violence and other criminal activity deemed beyond the ability of local authorities to contain.

      (b) Upon agreement between the chief elected official or chief of police of any municipality and the Commissioner of Public Safety, the task force may conduct any investigation under the direction of the Commissioner of Public Safety, or the commissioner's designee, at any place within the state it deems necessary.

      (c) The task force may request and may receive from any federal, state or local agency, cooperation and assistance in the performance of its duties, including the temporary assignment of personnel necessary to carry out the performance of its functions.

      (d) The task force may enter into mutual assistance and cooperation agreements with other states pertaining to law enforcement matters extending across state boundaries and may consult and exchange information and personnel with agencies of other states with reference to law enforcement problems of mutual concern.

      (e) The Commissioner of Public Safety shall appoint a commanding officer and other personnel as he deems necessary for the duties of the task force, within available appropriations.

      (f) In order to participate in and utilize the task force, a municipality shall petition the Commissioner of Public Safety for assistance. Such petition shall contain a description of the problem, a record of the efforts made to solve or contain the problem by local authorities and a request for the deployment of the task force to address specific problems or investigations. The task force may deploy subject to agreement as described in subsection (b) of this section. Municipalities participating in the task force shall assign local resources and personnel to the extent of their ability to do so.

      (g) The Commissioner of Public Safety may select such personnel from any municipality of the state as the commissioner deems necessary to act as temporary special state police officers to carry out the duties of the task force.

      (h) Any municipal police officer while assigned to duty with the task force and working at the direction of the Commissioner of Public Safety, or the commissioner's designee, shall, when acting within the scope of such officer's authority, have the same powers, duties, privileges and immunities as are conferred upon a state police officer.

      (i) Each municipality shall be responsible for the full payment of the compensation of personnel temporarily assigned to the task force and such salary shall be payable to such assigned personnel while on duty with the task force.

      (j) For purposes of indemnification of such personnel and its municipalities against any losses, damages or liabilities arising out of the service and activities of the task force, personnel while assigned to, and performing the duties of, the task force shall be deemed to be acting as employees of the state.

      (P.A. 93-348, S. 1, 8; P.A. 06-187, S. 17.)

      History: P.A. 93-348 effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 06-187 substituted State Urban Violence and Cooperative Crime Control Task Force for state-wide cooperative crime control task force throughout section, amended Subsec. (a) to set out purpose of task force, amended Subsec. (b) to require agreement between chief elected official or chief of police and Commissioner of Public Safety and specify that task force is under commissioner's or designee's direction, amended Subsec. (f) to delete requirement that petition contain plans for continuing community programs and to add new language re contents of petition, and added new Subsecs. (g) to (j) re use of municipal personnel as temporary special state police officers, effective July 1, 2006.

      Sec. 29-179g. Appointment of police or federal Housing and Urban Development Agency personnel for task force. Compensation. Indemnification. Termination. (a) The Commissioner of Public Safety may from time to time select a number of police personnel from any municipality of the state or personnel from the Housing and Urban Development Agency as he deems necessary to act temporarily as special state policemen to carry out the duties of the state-wide cooperative crime control task force. Such personnel shall be appointed from a list of names of persons recommended to the state-wide cooperative crime control task force policy board by the chiefs of police of the municipalities or the executive authority of the federal Housing and Urban Development Agency and approved by said board.

      (b) Each municipality and the federal Housing and Urban Development Agency shall be responsible for the full payment of the compensation of such of their personnel temporarily assigned to the state-wide cooperative crime control task force and such salary shall be payable to such assigned personnel while on duty with said task force.

      (c) For purposes of indemnification of such personnel and their municipalities or the federal Housing and Urban Development Agency against any losses, damages or liabilities arising out of the service and activities of the task force, personnel while assigned to, and performing the duties of, the task force shall be deemed to be acting as employees of the state.

      (d) Each municipality participating in the program shall assign at least two police officers to the task force for a period of not less than one year.

      (e) Any appointments made pursuant to this section shall terminate by order of said commissioner or upon dissolution of the state-wide cooperative crime control task force, whichever occurs sooner.

      (P.A. 93-348, S. 2, 8; P.A. 95-330, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 93-348 effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-330 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that the commissioner may select personnel from the Housing and Urban Development Agency to act temporarily as special state policemen and that such personnel shall be appointed from a list of names recommended by the executive authority of such agency, amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to provide for compensation and indemnification of personnel from the federal Housing and Urban Development Agency, and added Subsec. (e) providing that the termination of appointments made under this section shall be upon the sooner of either an order of the commissioner or the dissolution of the state-wide cooperative crime control task force.

      Sec. 29-179h. Municipal police officers. Powers, duties and immunities. A municipal police officer, while assigned to duty with the state-wide cooperative crime control task force and working at the direction of the Commissioner of Public Safety or his designee, shall, when acting within the scope of his authority, have the same powers, duties, privileges and immunities as are conferred upon him as a state police officer.

      (P.A. 93-348, S. 3, 8.)

      History: P.A. 93-348 effective July 1, 1993.

      Sec. 29-179i. State-Wide Cooperative Crime Control Task Force Policy Board. (a) There shall be a State-Wide Cooperative Crime Control Task Force Policy Board which shall be in the Division of State Police within the Department of Public Safety for administrative purposes only. The policy board shall consist of a state committee and municipal subcommittees representing each municipality participating in the state-wide cooperative crime control task force. The state committee shall consist of the Commissioner of Public Safety who shall be the chairperson, the Chief Court Administrator or his designee, the Chief State's Attorney or his designee, the Commissioner of Correction or his designee, the director of the Police Officer Standards and Training Council or his designee, the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, Division of State Police or his designee, and the commanding officer of the task force. The municipal subcommittees shall consist of the chief executive officer of the participating municipality, the chief of police of the participating municipality and three other members appointed by such chief executive officer representing, but not limited to, the interests of the business community, social and community services and education.

      (b) The policy board shall direct and supervise the formulation of policies and operating procedures and shall coordinate the activities of the task force with other law enforcement agencies within and without the state. Said board may waive the requirement specified in subsection (d) of section 29-179g relative to assignment of police officers to the task force.

      (c) The policy board may apply for and shall administer any federal, state, local or private appropriations or grant funds made available for the operation of the task force. Any funds not expended shall revert to the agency or organization from which such funds were received.

      (P.A. 93-348, S. 4, 8; P.A. 95-108, S. 14.)

      History: P.A. 93-348 effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-108 amended Subsec. (a) to rename Municipal Police Training Council as Police Officer Standards and Training Council.

      See Sec. 4-38f for definition of "administrative purposes only".