Senate Republican Leader Flanagan Introduces Companion Legislation To Make Harassment Of Law Enforcement A Felony

Senate Republican Leader John J. Flanagan (2^nd Senate District) today introduced companion legislation in the Senate to protect law enforcement officers from water tossing and other harassment by making it a Class E felony, after a spree of incidents of individuals hurling buckets of water at on-duty officers in New York City spread on the internet.

The flood of incidents is an indicator of the attitude towards police shaped by Democrat’s public policy stance that demonizes law enforcement and puts criminals’ rights over victims’ rights.

“Our police officers deserve respect for keeping our streets safe day in and out. No person should feel empowered to intimidate an officer by disrespectfully dumping water on them and obstructing that officer from protecting communities. After the very first incident, I made clear that the Senate Republican Conference will always stand on the side of law enforcement, public safety, and victims’ rights. This is unacceptable, and it has to stop,” said Senate Republican Leader Flanagan.

This year, state Senate Democrats watered down public safety by passing a “Criminal Bill of Rights,” which included letting nearly every dangerous criminal go free without bail, and providing criminal defense teams with personal information of victims and witnesses.

Senate Democrats also voted on every single New York State Parole Board appointee, all who expressed a willingness to continue down the Democrat desired path of so-called “criminal justice reform,” even in the wake of the release of cop-killers like Herman Bell and Richard LaBarbera, who raped and killed 16-year-old Paula Bohovesky. LaBarbera is already back in prison on a parole violation. Every Senate Republican voted no.

Senate Democrats also voted down a Republican effort to pass the “Blue Lives Matter” bill that would have made attacks on police a hate crime.