New data confirms what people pushing for criminal justice reform have been saying for years – racial disparities show up during encounters with police.

Researchers at the University of Connecticut say Black people face disproportionate rates of police use-of-force in Connecticut. And that a significant share of those incidents involve someone in mental health distress.

Today on The Wheelhouse, what reforms can Connecticut lawmakers take to ensure better policing?

Plus, as a government shutdown drags on, we ask how are local families doing?

GUESTS:
Lisa Hagen, federal policy reporter, Connecticut Public and CT Mirror
Ken Barone, project manager, the University of Connecticut’s Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy
Jim Haddadin, investigative editor, Connecticut Public

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/the-reporters-notebook/2025-09-30/reporters-notebook-why-do-ct-police-encounters-with-people-in-distress-turn-violent">New data</a>&nbsp;confirms what people pushing for criminal justice reform have been saying for years &ndash; racial disparities show up during encounters with police.
Researchers at the University of Connecticut say Black people face disproportionate rates of police use-of-force in Connecticut. And that a significant share of those incidents involve someone in mental health distress.
Today on The Wheelhouse, what reforms can Connecticut lawmakers take to ensure better policing?
Plus, as a government shutdown drags on, we ask how are local families doing?
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/people/lisa-hagen-1">Lisa Hagen</a>, federal policy reporter, Connecticut Public and CT Mirror</li>
<li><a href="https://imrp.dpp.uconn.edu/person/ken-barone/">Ken Barone</a>, project manager, the University of Connecticut&rsquo;s Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy</li>
<li><a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/people/jim-haddadin">Jim Haddadin</a>, investigative editor, Connecticut Public</li>
</ul>

If you’re a news junkie — or maybe just news curious, we’ve got your weekly dose of Connecticut politics, tackling everything from tax cuts to human composting. Amplifying important local and national voices, The Wheelhouse walks listeners through the most important political stories of the week.  You’ll hear from well-known political reporters, academics, and local journalists across Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

If you’re a news junkie — or maybe just news curious, we’ve got your weekly dose of Connecticut politics, tackling everything from tax cuts to human composting. Amplifying important local and national voices, The Wheelhouse walks listeners through the most important political stories of the week.  You’ll hear from well-known political reporters, academics, and local journalists across Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

Connecticut's best journalists come out of the political trenches every Wednesday to join us on WNPR's weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse.