Issue Position: Law Enforcement/Public Safety

Issue Position

Right now the Democrats control the Governor's office, the assembly, and the senate. Single-party control of Albany is not healthy for democracy and flies in the face of the checks and balances outlined in our constitution.

This dominance has opened the floodgates to a free-for-all of reactionary legislation passed in response to the social outrage of the day. As a result, the Democrats continue to chip away at vital protections for victims and support for our brave men and women in law enforcement.

Skoufis voted IN SUPPORT of both bail reform and 50-a; the question we really need to ask is "what's next?"

Bail Reform
We can all agree that bail reform is a piece of legislation that has handcuffed judges from keeping potentially dangerous criminals off the streets while awaiting trial.

For domestic abusers, these new requirements put those arrested immediately back on the streets, essentially doing away with a vital cooling-off period that can contribute to the de-escalation of a dangerous family situation.

Even after April's compromised legislation passed, judges still cannot consider the dangerousness of defendants, beyond the immediate criminal charge before them, in deciding whether they should be confined following their arraignments.

As a result, the rate of people re-arrested after release are up by 515% year over year in Orange County alone, according to statistics collected by OC District Attorney Hoovler from January through late August. The percentage of people arrested a THIRD time is up 1250% year over year.

These are the offenders who destroy your quality of life, and cost the legal system millions each year.

50-A
Most recently, the Democrats in Albany took it even further by repealing 50-a, legislature on a section of the New York Civil Rights Law that …..

It was passed in the 1970s both to protect the personal information of officers who testified in court and to prevent "harassment" by criminal defense attorneys.

By repealing 50-a, Albany Democrats are endangering police officers by making their personal information too accessible.

The PBA argued that the repeal "ignored both the serious risks to police officer safety and the reputational harm of publishing false allegations."

I agree.

Now more than ever, we need to show our support for our men and women in law enforcement who have been working night and day to keep our communities safe while dealing with a global pandemic.

That is why the Orange County Legislature, where I serve as chair, recently passed a resolution expressing our unwavering support for federal, state, and local law enforcement.

Sadly, you will see no such resolution passed in Albany by either the Senate or Assembly. Instead of supporting cops, they would rather de-fund the police and pass laws that put criminals back on the street.

In fact, Skoufis voted against a pro-law enforcement protection package that would have increased penalties for assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, and failing to retreat as well as making any crime committed against a police officer, because of their status, a hate crime.

Once again, they've turned their backs on the dedicated men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect Hudson Valley families and communities.

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