Requiring gun offenders to register with local authorities would give police a potent new tool to combat violence, said state Sen. Martin Looney.
Looney, a New Haven Democrat, testified in favor of the gun registry at a public hearing this morning before the legislature's public safety committee.
The registry would be the first of its kind in the nation; several cities, including New York City and Baltimore, have established such programs but no state has done it, Looney said.