“Recently Bill 10755 was introduced to the New York State Assembly where it now sits in committee. Should this ever pass it would have a grave impact on all Peace Officers throughout the State creating an unsafe work environment in an already dangerous profession. It is proposed that a person who is a Peace Officer be prohibited from carrying or using a firearm during the scope of employment. Some of the Peace Officers impacted are the entire New York City Sheriff’s Department who execute violent warrants, New York State Court Officers who protect our courts and all who enter there, all NYS Parole Officers, Probation Officers and Constables to name a few. I urge everyone to contact their representative in both the NYS Assembly and Senate to quash this proposed Bill not only for the safety of the Officers but for the safety of the People in New York State.”
#putnamsheriffNY #putnamcountyNY #nystateassemblybillA10755 #nyssheriffsassociation (Text from New York State Sheriff’s Association can be found in comments below).
NEW YORK STATE SHERIFFS’ ASSOCIATION
27 ELK STREET ALBANY, N. Y. 12207
TELEPHONE (518) 434-9091
FAX (518) 434-9093
Memorandum in Opposition to A10755—An Act that Would Prohibit Peace Officers From Carrying Firearms
The New York State Sheriffs’ Association STRONGLY OPPOSES this legislation, which would prohibit New York State peace officers from carrying firearms when acting in their official capacity.
The disastrous impact this legislation would have on New York State law enforcement cannot be overstated Peace officers perform many critical functions for a variety of law enforcement agencies. These individuals act as court security officers, corrections officers, school resource officers, campus safety officers, etc. And in each instance, effective performance of those duties requires that the officer be armed. To suggest that correction officers conducting prisoner transports be unarmed, or that civil deputies serving order of protection be unarmed, is impractical and dangerous for the officers involved.
Should this bill become law, the only recourse would be to have police officers perform the myriad of functions now done by peace officers. This would be prohibitively expensive as well as inefficient. Furthermore, the legislation is aimed at remedying a “problem” that doesn’t exist. The memorandum attached to the bill states, “…the abbreviated nature of peace officer training raises concerns over their preparedness to carry and use firearms.” But those concerns are never stated, and no examples are given of how peace officer training is insufficient or has resulted in poor outcomes in performance.
Peace officers are absolutely necessary to ensure the smooth functioning of our criminal justice system in New York State. And in the majority of cases in which they are necessary. they can only be effective if armed. This proposal will only make our communities less safe.
For the foregoing reasons, the New York State Sheriffs’ Association opposes this legislation.
Robert L. Langley Jr.
