Galef and Carlucci Call on Governor to Sign Legislation Designating Ossining Court Officers as Peace Officers

Ossining, NY -- Assemblywoman Sandy Galef and Senator David Carlucci gathered on Tuesday with County Legislator Catherine  Borgia, and Town Supervisor Dana Levenberg to call on Governor Cuomo to approve their bill to designate Ossining Court Officers as Peace Officers, A6928-A/S5862-A, when it arrives on his desk this year.

The Town of Ossining and Village of Ossining have consolidated their court operations in order to save costs for their taxpayers. However, as positive as the cost saving experience has been, it has led to as many as 120 people in the courtroom at times. Given that courtroom settings are prone to tension and the potential for conflict, the courts have hired a Village of Ossining police officer for court sessions. This piece of legislation provides these uniformed court officers with peace officer status, a different job classification, further saving costs for the taxpayers. These officers will take part in training classes conducted by the Village of Ossining Police, and will be required to take annual visits to the rifle range under Village of Ossining Police Supervision and comply with all laws regarding firearms, registration, and other permits.

“I am glad to again see support from both the Assembly and Senate for this important step to identify uniformed court officers in Ossining as peace officers, and hope that the Governor supports this legislation this year,” said Galef. “These officers have been acting in the role of peace officers for years, and it is important to properly classify these individuals who are necessary for the proper and effective operations of the courtroom, while also saving taxpayer money.”

“Employing peace officers at the Ossining Town Court will save the town thousands and offer tax relief to Ossining residents. This is common-sense legislation headed for the Governor’s desk,” said Senator David Carlucci. 

“We are grateful that the legislature passed this bill which will allow Ossining to join with Villages as well as many other municipalities that already have peace officer status in place for their court attendants,” said Dana Levenberg, Supervisor of the Town of Ossining.  “It only makes sense that the people who are hired to ensure our courts are safe are also empowered to do so.”

This bill will be sent to the Governor for his signature.