A freshman lawmaker has proposed clearing the way for Candlewood Lake Authority Marine Patrol members to carry firearms while on duty.  New Fairfield Representative Patrick Callahan, introduced a bill that would require Connecticut to provide firearms training for lake patrol officers. 

24 seasonal officers patrol the lake. 

Callahan says this summer was a crazy one with more people using the lake, crowding the closed islands and trashing them and boats tying together for rafting parties. 

The Candlewood Lake Authority has not yet discussed this bill, but a similar measure was discussed a decade ago.  There were questions by the towns about higher insurance costs for officers carrying firearms.  The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection ruled that the only lake patrol officers who could carry firearms were those with training certification typical of an active-duty police officer. 

Callahan’s legislation would make it mandatory, instead of optional, that lake authorities indemnify lake patrolmen while acting in the scope of their employment.