Column: Tribal policing at casinos a bad idea in Connecticut

From the beginning, I've thought Gov. Dannel Malloy's plan to allow tribal police to take over much of the casino policing from Connecticut State Police was a terrible idea.

It is puzzling why the governor would go so far out of his way to accommodate the tribe's wishes to diminish the state police presence at the casinos since the tribes are required to pay for it, by the same compact that gives them permission to conduct gambling in the first place.

The governor's timing is especially odd, given the fact that the tribal member who was recently given executive authority over the Mashantucket Pequot police department has a criminal history and the Mashantuckets' treasurer is under federal indictment.

To accomplish this standing down of state police at the casinos, tribal police would be given the authority, for the first time, to arrest non-Indians.