Gov. M. Jodi Rell has signed into law Senate Bill 604, An Act Concerning Hate Crimes, which makes it a crime to display a noose as a way of harassing or threatening someone.

"Connecticut simply will not tolerate bigotry or racism," Rell said. "Let this bill send that message loud and clear. Using a noose -- a symbol of the racially motivated lynchings during the late 19th and first half of the 20th century -- to intimidate anyone because of their race or any other characteristic is a repugnant and cowardly act. No one should be subject to that kind of treatment.”

Last year, nooses were discovered at construction sites in West Hartford and Stamford; at a home improvement store in West Hartford; under a Bridgeport police officer's vehicle and at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London.

Supporters of the bill believe many other incidents go unreported.

The new law, which takes effect Oct. 1, passed unanimously in both the Senate and House of Representatives. It was supported by the Division of Criminal Justice and the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, among others.