Connecticut's new public safety commissioner has immediately restored round-the-clock staffing at all state police barracks.
Commissioner Dora Schriro announced the move Monday, saying it's important for all barracks to be accessible to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Five state police barracks have been closing after normal business hours and weekends as part of a dispatching consolidation overseen by previous Commissioner Reuben Bradford, who retired last month. Bradford said the consolidation was saving money and putting more troopers on patrol.
But the state police union criticized the consolidation, saying it was resulting in longer response times and people seeking help at closed barracks. Emergency call boxes were installed outside those barracks.
Police union officials applauded the barracks restaffing.
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