Connecticut officials are looking for someone to become the state’s next inspector general, a position that is tasked with investigating instances where people die at the hands of law enforcement and determining whether those cases warrant criminal charges.
The state’s Criminal Justice Commission announced Friday that Robert Devlin, who has served in that post since 2021, intends to retire in July from the high-profile job.
And the commission wasted no time in opening up a new search for the next person to lead the office, which is currently reviewing 17 separate police shootings and seven other deaths that occurred while people were in the custody of police or the state’s prisons.
Devlin was a pioneer as inspector general as the first person to be appointed to the job. He paved the way by investigating dozens of police shootings and he made the consequential decision to charge a state police trooper with manslaughter — the first time that has ever occurred in state history.
Lawmakers created the Office of Inspector General as part of a sweeping criminal justice reform effort in 2020 so that local prosecutors would no longer be tasked with deciding whether a law enforcement official should be charged for killing someone while in the line of duty.
The office has drastically changed how police shootings in Connecticut are handled by allowing the public to view body and dash camera footage from police shootings in a timely manner. It also shares detailed reports on the circumstances that led to those deadly encounters.
In a letter and a separate press release, members of the criminal justice commission, who are responsible for vetting and selecting the inspector general, lauded Devlin’s work over the past three years and thanked him for standing up the new office.
“I speak for all of the members of the Commission when I say it is with great regret that we see you go,” state Supreme Court Justice Andrew McDonald, who chairs the criminal justice commission, told Devlin in the letter.
“Your trailblazing leadership at the Office of Inspector General helped set an important
course for Connecticut to follow as state leaders actively review and update laws regarding police use of force,” McDonald added. “You embraced this new role admirably, and worked hard to promote the values of justice, transparency and fairness.”
Devlin, who over the course of his career also previously served as a public defender, prosecutor and a judge, did not respond to a voicemail left at his office on Friday.
During Devlin’s tenure, he and his small team of attorneys and investigators published 30 final reports on cases involving police shootings and people who died while in custody. He and his staff also held 325 meetings at schools, universities, churches and community centers to educate the public about the new office’s work.
The Democratic leaders of the Connecticut legislature’s judiciary committee also complimented Devlin’s work in recent years and the professionalism, transparency and independence that he brought to the office.
“I think he did an exceptional job. He brought a level of credibility, professionalism, respect and class to the role that I think was critically important in helping getting the office off the ground,” said Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport. “I think he was widely respected both by those who advocated for the police accountability legislation, as well as law enforcement, and really struck the right balance and tone.”
Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, said Devlin positioned the Inspector General’s office to be a place where members of the public can turn to for answers when there is a police shooting or a death inside a prison cell.
The creation of the office, Winfield said, was a small part of the overall criminal justice legislation in 2020, but he said it may be one of the most public-facing changes that were made that year.
Winfield specifically credited Devlin for deciding to file charges against a state police trooper who shot and killed Mubarak Soulemane, a 19-year-old Black man, in 2020. Devlin made that decision even though another prosecutor had previously declined to prosecute the case.
The ensuing trial of Trooper Brian North ended with a jury acquitting the officer, who fired seven shots into Souleman’s chest while he sat in a locked vehicle under an overpass in West Haven.
Even so, Winfield said the fact that Devlin was willing to form his own conclusions about the case and to bring charges against the police officer was evidence of his commitment to the job.
“I think he demonstrated early that he took it seriously, that he was willing to look at things that had been bypassed by others, and sometimes come to a different conclusion,” Winfield said.
McDonald, who has served on the Supreme Court since 2013, also recognized Devlin’s less visible work interacting with and informing the families of people who were shot and killed by police.
“We are especially grateful for the time you spent making sure presumptive victims and their family members were included during the difficult process of investigating use-of-force cases,” McDonald told Devlin in his letter.
Whoever is chosen to fill Devlin’s shoes is likely to have their hands full.
Some of the cases currently pending before the office involve police shootings and deaths dating back to late 2023, and new cases continue to be referred to the office.
Advocates for criminal justice reform in Connecticut are closely watching the hiring process for Devlin’s successor because of the critical role the position plays in policing the actions of law enforcement officers.
“In selecting an inspector general, it is critical to prioritize candidates with demonstrated independence, integrity, and a commitment to fulfilling the obligations of the office,” said David McGuire, the executive director of the Connecticut ACLU. “Currently, the office is investigating two dozen cases in Connecticut … These incidents represent taxpayer-funded violence that demands fully resourced and transparent investigations.”
Democratic lawmakers, who control the General Assembly, agree that the position needs to be filled quickly so that the office can continue its work. But more importantly, they said it needs to be filled with the correct person.
“I think we need to build off the success Judge Devlin had, and hopefully find someone equally qualified, competent and respected to fill the position,” Stafstrom, the co-chair of the judiciary committee said.