The deaths of 23-year-old Lauren Smith-Fields and 53-year-old Brenda Lee Rawls has sparked new proposed legislation by Connecticut lawmakers.
HB-5349 would require police departments around the state to notify family members within 24 hours whenever there is a death of a loved one.
On Wednesday, Connecticut's Judiciary Committee held a public meeting to allow the public to weigh in on the proposed legislation. At times, both family members of the two Bridgeport women, along with lawmakers, were emotional about what the families experienced after the death of their loved one.
"We didn't even get a phone call, we had to search and dig and find out my daughter's death through a fourth party," said Everette Smith, father of Lauren Smith-Fields. "Everyday is a challenge, it's a delay reprieve, it's a delay reprieve to try and understand."
According to the families, the women died on Dec. 12 but they say they went days without hearing that their sister and daughter had died. The families of both women shared what they considered a lack of professionalism from the Bridgeport Police Department after losing their family member.
Lauren Smith-Fields' family told NBC Connecticut that they learned she'd died from Lauren's landlord after not hearing from her.
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"On December 13, our family did not receive human decency, sensitivity and common respect after the death of Lauren," said Shantell Fields, mother of Lauren Smith-Fields.
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The family of Brenda Lee Rawls told NBC Connecticut they found out about the death of the 53-year-old after not hearing from her and stopping by a male acquaintance's house where he told them that Brenda had died.
"We also had to search for our sister, me and my family," said Dorothy Washington, sister of Brenda Lee Rawls. "To this day, we have not had a meeting or anything with police officers, or the police department, they have not entertained meeting with us at all."
The death and the matter in which they were treated gained the attention of lawmakers who at some points during the public meeting were emotional about what the families had experienced.
"A lot of people, when we pass this bill, will be better for the work that you've done and I extend my deepest and sincerest condolences to the families," said State Senator Gary Winfield.
The bill is a step in the right direction, according to the families of the two women. However, they along with both families' attorney, Darnell Crosland, share concerns about enforcement.
"We're going to need to make sure that if these officers violate these bills, that they do lose their post-certification to be cops, and we are going to have to have sub-committees that make it easier for us to bring these cases of violations before the judiciary," said Crosland.
"We have to have streamline mechanisms that we can get to the Inspector General rather easier with these cases because if we're not we'll be lost in the red tape, and we'll be having a bill with no teeth," he continued.
State Senator Dennis Bradley represents Bridgeport and is co-sponsoring the bill and believes the legislation could ensure other families avoid the pain that both the Rawls and Smith-Fields family experienced.
"This is such a basic concept that we think should take place in the state of Connecticut to ensure human dignity, we want to make sure that the family is treated with a delicacy in a delicate situation that it deserves," said Bradley. "This piece of legislation, although at it's first glance sounds pretty fundamental, will be monumental to ensure that we make a bridge between police departments and families."
Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim also shared his testimony and support for the passage of the bill.
"This bill is about human decency, and the fact that human decency does not stop when someone dies, it extends to the living and to the family and loved ones of the deceased and should be carried out in a respectful and dignified way," said Ganim.
The testimony is the first step in the process of getting the bill to become law. It first needs to pass in the judiciary committee before making its way to the house and senate floors. If the bill passes on both floors, it will head to Governor Lamont's desk to be signed into law.
