Several Connecticut mayors are pleading with the state legislature to crack down on repeat, violent offenders, but some Democrats in the state appear to be far more excited about criminalizing the right to keep and bear arms in self-defense instead. As we first reported last week, the mayors joined Gov. Ned Lamont in a press conference calling for tougher punishment for those repeatedly convicted of violent crimes, and now the Hartford Courant newspaper has done a pretty good job of digging into the data; which does indeed back up the mayors’ assertions that repeat offenders are responsible for the lion’s share of the growing violence in Connecticut cities.

In Hartford, shooting suspects had long criminal records; half those arrested over the last three years had been arrested in the city for something else within the prior year and one half. On average, they had 10 prior arrests, three for felonies. Most are men (95%), 18- to 34-years-old (70%).

Hartford data drawn from 345 gun violence incidents between January 2019 and March 2021 shows that 85% of the suspects arrested for gun crimes had been convicted of gun crimes previously.

Last year, of the 44 people arrested in Hartford for murders or attempted murders with guns, 39% had charges pending from other crimes, but had been released from custody after posting bond. Fifteen percent were on probation. Five percent were on parole. Of those arrested last year, 39% had prior convictions for violent felonies or gun crimes.

Big city support is no guarantee that the proposed legislation will succeed — even after the more punitive aspects in the proposals were dialed back to appease lawmakers who believe cities are already over-policed and prosecuted.

State Rep. Steven Staftstrom, the Bridgeport Democrat who is House chairman of the legislature’s influential judiciary committee, would not handicap chances of the mayors’ proposals being enacted, but said he personally supports “reasonable tweaks” that “enhance public safety and cut down on gun violence in our cities.”

“Connecticut actually saw a precipitous drop in crime over the last decades as we have been smart on crime rather than just being tough on crime,” he said.

“States like Connecticut that have stronger gun control laws but are smart on criminal justice have vastly lower rates of gun violence than states that are just tough on crime and may have more lax gun laws,” Staftstrom said. “That’s why the committee’s focus has really been on access to firearms, particularly over the last several years.”