JIM MORELLI

At a time of increasing crime and lack of accountability, especially with juvenile suspects, I am a strong advocate of legal reform. Recently – and as in many similar cases -- a multi-jurisdictional task force apprehended the leader of a major crime syndicate. His arrest was the culmination of countless police hours and intense collaboration among agencies.
He was arrested, but he immediately posted bail. In less than a day, he was back on the street. This must be stopped. Our Democratic leaders have tied the hands of our police officers in dealing with juvenile criminals. For example, current laws allow minors to steal cars and drive recklessly through our communities with no real consequences. Thus, these crimes continue with no end in sight. With your vote, I will work to establish greater accountability and consequences.
​
As a former emergency medical technician (EMT), I identify with the need for increased support of emergency responders. The wages paid to paramedics and EMTs are dismal. There is little incentive for people to enter and flourish in this field. The need for fast and effective professional responses grows by the minute. Southington sees this too often with fatal crashes on I-84 and I-691 almost daily and sometimes more than once a day. In addition, our aging population requires
increasing emergency services. I believe our state should establish a statewide emergency medical services (EMS) response for our major highways. We should not rely solely on the resources of each town to handle emergency services on the highways. This detracts from the town’s ability to respond to emergency situations within the town itself. 
 
With the increase of drug-overdose fatalities, I strongly support making NARCAN, an overdose reversing agent, readily available at schools and other public locations. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 109,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the 12- month period ending January 2023. Greater distribution of NARCAN can help reverse this frightening trend. We need to establish civic programs and training to educate everyone on the use of this game-changing drug so that more of us can assist those in need at a moment’s notice. Training, education and availability are key.
​
I also am a strong proponent of greater distribution of defibrillators. According to the National Institutes of Health, victims of cardiac arrest are more likely to survive if a bystander uses a defibrillator while waiting for emergency medical services to arrive. The study showed that 1,700 lives were saved by bystanders using defibrillators. Imagine if more of us were trained on their proper use and were able to easily grab one and deploy it. Right now, the Southington Town Council is working on a project to place defibrillators in parks and near playing fields throughout town. Training, education and availability will lead to saving lives. Instant, prudent care has been proven to dramatically improve the chances of survival.