Senator Gallivan Joins Fellow Legislators in Announcing Plan to Create a Safer NY

Senator Patrick M. Gallivan, (R-C, Elma) joined colleagues from the Senate and Assembly Minority Conferences, members of law enforcement and victims’ advocates to unveil a legislative package to Create a Safer New York.  The comprehensive policy initiatives support law enforcement, fix the state’s broken criminal justice system, crack down on illegal gun crime, and protect victims and law-abiding New Yorkers.

“Keeping our residents safe should be our number one priority,” said Senator Gallivan.  “Reforms to our criminal justice system have made our communities less safe and it is time to reverse those changes, starting with bail reform. We must protect the rights of law-abiding citizens and restore the authority taken from judges. We should also increase our investment in law enforcement to ensure police have the tools needed to investigate crimes, including drug activity and the illegal use of firearms.” 

“Every day we hear of another blanket release mandate for even the most violent of criminals.  We hear how they are deserving of the second chance at life they robbed our families of.  But I have yet to hear how those that are being released back into society have been rehabilitated.  Instead of issuing these blanket release mandates Governor Kathy Hochul and her majority should be focusing on investing in the rehabilitation of the nonviolent offenders to prevent victimization in the first place, before it is too late for families like ours and the offenders themselves. The current revolving door system they have created clearly is not working,” said Jennifer Harrison, Founder of Victims’ Rights NY.

To provide much-needed support to law enforcement, fix the state’s broken criminal justice system, crack down on illegal gun crime, and protect victims and innocent New Yorkers, Republicans proposed:

• Support Law Enforcement

  • Creating the SAFER Communities Grant Program to invest in critical investigatory and prosecutorial resources designed to increase case clearance rates for homicide and gun crimes;
  • Repealing HALT to protect our corrections officers; and
  • Allowing the use of familial DNA to give law enforcement more investigatory tools.
• Fix the Broken Criminal Justice System
  • Rolling back disastrous bail and discovery laws, and providing for judicial discretion to stop the revolving door in our criminal justice system;
  • Opposing soft-on-crime policies, including the so-called “Clean Slate” Act, “Elder Parole,” and others; and
  • Increasing penalties for habitual repeat offenders who commit crimes that harm New Yorkers’ quality of life.
• Crack Down on Illegal Gun Crime
  • Reducing the use of illegal firearms with increased funding for gun interdiction efforts;
  • Increasing penalties for crimes committed with stolen firearms, and mandatory consecutive sentencing for crimes involving illegal firearms; and
  • Making any misdemeanor or felony offense involving an illegal firearm bail eligible, and amending Raise the Age to ensure 16- and 17-year-olds charged with certain gun or gang-related crimes are prosecuted as adults.
• Protect Victims and Innocent New Yorkers
  • Restricting the release of identifying information in certain cases, and putting in place policies to protect victims’ rights during parole process;
  • Increasing the caps on Office of Victim Services reimbursements for crime victims, and investing in victim support programs; and
  • Authorizing judges to set lifetime orders of protection for certain crimes, such as violent and domestic violence felonies.

The package is the first in a series of comprehensive proposals that will be put forth by the Minority Conferences this session in order to reduce crime, strengthen public safety, and protect victims and innocent, law-abiding New Yorkers.

Earlier this month, Senator Gallivan and his colleagues unveiled a 2023 Legislative Agenda that would:

• Restore common sense to our criminal justice system to prevent crime and protect New Yorkers;
• Increase efforts and investments to end the opioid and mental health epidemics; and
• Support and protect our seniors and other vulnerable New Yorkers.

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