Majority Leader Flanagan Urges New Yorkers To Make Their Voices Heard On Critical Public Safety Issue

Senate Majority Leader John J. Flanagan (2^nd Senate District) is urging New Yorkers to sign an online petition calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo's New York State Board of Parole to deny the release from prison of Anthony Bottom, who was convicted for his role in the brutal murders of two New York City police officers.

Bottom was one of three men convicted and sent to prison for gunning down and killing Officers Joseph Piagentini and Waverly Jones after luring them to a Harlem housing project.  Bottom is up for parole in June.  The petition can be found at noparoleforanthonybottom.com

“Hardworking New Yorkers want safe streets, safe neighborhoods and safe communities, where they can raise their children and have a decent quality of life.  Anthony Bottom’s release would be an affront to law-abiding citizens everywhere and minimize the seriousness of his heinous crime.  New Yorkers must make their voices heard and tell Andrew Cuomo's parole board that Anthony Bottom should stay in prison where he belongs,” Senator Flanagan said.

Bottom's parole hearing comes on the heels of the State Parole Board's inexplicable decision to set notorious cop killer Herman Bell free, despite his role as the mastermind of this horrific crime and even though he refused for years to show any remorse for his actions.

In addition, Governor Cuomo recently acted unilaterally to pardon more than 24,000 violent felons - - including murderers, rapists and cop killers - - so they could show up at schools and other polling places and vote this November.

“This is New York. We shouldn’t allow cop killers to go free, and we shouldn't pardon rapists, murderers, cop killers and other violent criminals before they have completed their sentences just so they can vote in our elections.  Andrew Cuomo has put politics ahead of sound public policy, and it's time for New Yorkers to rise up and tell him ‘No Parole for Anthony Bottom,’” Senator Flanagan concluded.

Senator Gallivan, the Chairman of the Senate's Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections committee, has linked to the online petition on his Senate website and a comprehensive social media campaign is planned to keep this cop killer in prison.