In the aftermath of the killings in Cheshire last year and in New Britain earlier this week, Congressman Chris Murphy held a press conference where he announced two bills that will make home invasion a federal crime.

Here's portions of the congressman's press release:

Murphy’s proposal intends to:

· make home invasion a federal crime;

· improve the FBI’s tracking of home invasions across the country;

· improve federal resources for parole and probation activities, including federal funds for the use of GPS monitoring devices and the hiring of additional parole and probation officers;

· And create a national training center for parole and probation officials.

“Connecticut has been through enough this year. These senseless crimes have hurt so much more than our homes and families – they have shattered our sense of safety and security in our communities. It’s time for the federal government to provide more assistance to the states to keep us safe,” said Murphy.

The first part of Murphy’s proposal will make home invasion a federal crime, allowing it to be prosecuted in the federal courts and subject to stiff penalties. By making these heinous crimes a federal offense, the Murphy legislation will ensure that all arms of the law, both state and federal, can act to prosecute and deter these terrible acts. And in order to better monitor the frequency of home invasions across the country, Murphy is proposing that the FBI separately report the frequency of this particular crime. Currently, the FBI tracks home invasions in the same category of residential robberies; that category of crimes has increased 13% nationwide in 2006 from 2002.

The second bill being crafted by Murphy makes GPS monitoring technology and the hiring of additional parole and probation officers eligible for funding under the existing Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Grant Program (Byrne Program). The Byrne Program is a partnership among federal, state, and local governments to create safer communities by awarding grants to states to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system—with emphasis on violent crime and serious offenders.

Murphy’s bill also creates a National Training and Policy Center for Parole and Probation Officials. Housed in the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance, the training center will act to provide parole board members and parole officers with technical assistance and training, as well as act as a clearing house for best practices in parole and probation policy.

“The safety of our citizens is a mandate on all levels of government - local, state and national. By better leveraging federal resources, we can create a real, working partnership to return a sense of security to the citizens of Connecticut,” said Murphy.

Here's a portion of Murphy's presser from earlier today.