Release: Addabbo Supports Bills to Protect Police Officers From Harm, Provide Equity in Disability Benefits

Queens, NY (June 22, 2015) In the waning days of the 2015 regular session of the New York State Senate, NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. joined with his Senate colleagues in approving several pieces of legislation to better protect police officers from harm and to provide equity in disability benefits for injured New York City police and fire officers who have been inexplicably provided with compensation lower than that of their peers.

“The brave men and women who embark on careers in law enforcement and who place themselves in danger every day to keep us and our neighborhoods safe deserve our respect and admiration,” said Addabbo.  “While there has certainly been tremendous controversy of late regarding police and community relations both here in New York and across the nation, I know that the vast majority of the men and women who carry the badge are personally dedicated to ensuring that all people are equal in the eyes of the law and that all of our residents are able to live in peace, safety and dignity.”

The first police-related bill (S.5598) Addabbo voted to approve in the Senate would establish the crime of inciting violence against a police officer, a Class D felony that could carry a prison sentence between two and seven years. “We have seen some tragic incidents recently when anger against police officers in general has spilled over into senseless, cold-blooded and deadly attacks,” he said. “We all mourned with the families of police officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu when they were shot to death in their patrol car in Brooklyn in December. They had done nothing wrong other than wear the uniform of the New York Police Department. We need to stop people from encouraging violent acts against our men and women in blue.”

A second bill (S.5349) supported by Addabbo would establish a new crime of making a terroristic threat against a police officer as a Class C felony. Under current law, making a general terroristic threat – considered a threat made with the intent of intimidating or harming a civilian population, or terrorizing, disrupting, harming or coercing the operation of a governmental unit, especially through threats of murder, assassination, or kidnapping – carries a lesser felony charge. “Threats made against our police officers and law enforcement agencies as a whole should carry more weight,” Addabbo said.  “We need to safeguard those who are sworn to protect us in the event of terror attacks and other devastating crimes against our citizenry and government.”

The third piece of legislation (S.5596) seeks to correct an inequity in the New York City pension system that provides significantly lower accidental and ordinary disability benefits for police and fire officers hired after 2009.  “This bill would place these New York City officers on an equal footing with their peers throughout the state,” said Addabbo, noting that a statewide pension measure which was vetoed in 2009 for economic reasons ultimately contributed to the disparity. Unlike other statewide police and fire unions, New York City police and fire officers were not able to negotiate the same disability compensation for their members who joined the force after 2009. “It’s time to provide all of our New York City police and fire officers with the same levels of disability compensation available to their peers across New York State,” said Addabbo.  “They face the same dangers, make the same sacrifices, and should have the same benefits.”

Having passed the Senate, all three police-related bills are under consideration by relevant committees in the New York State Assembly.