SEN. FARLEY ANNOUNCES SENATE PASSES BILLS TO STRENGTHEN PENALTIES FOR CRIMES AGAINST FIREFIGHTERS AND RETIRED POLICE

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I – Schenectady) reported that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate recently passed two bills to protect the first responders and law enforcement professionals who protect our communities. The bills would strengthen penalties for individuals who obstruct critical medical emergencies or assault retired police officers in acts of revenge. 

Billl S2977 would make it a crime to intentionally obstruct a firefighter performing emergency medical care on a sick or injured person. Current law affords firefighters special protections while engaged in a variety of functions during the performance of their official duties. However, the law does not adequately protect firefighters performing emergency medical care. 

In one incident, the City of Rochester Fire Department responded to a call and began delivering emergency medical care for a victim when an uninvolved onlooker became agitated and physically attacked firefighters on scene. Despite the egregious nature of the incident, the assailant could not be charged under existing law protecting firefighters. 

The Senate passed another bill (S1827) to protect retired police officers by strengthening the penalties for crimes committed by individuals seeking retaliation for being previously arrested by the officer. The measure would make such retaliatory crimes a class B or C violent felony, depending on the extent of the assault, and offer the same protection that the law currently gives active police officers to help discourage felons from seeking revenge against retired officers.

The bills have been sent to the Assembly.