Message from NYSTPBA President Tom Mungeer, June 10, 2022
NYSTPBA Newsletter Message from NYSTPBA President Tom Mungeer The Good, The Bad And The Ugly The 2022 legislative session came to an end last week after the Assembly gaveled out at 8:17 a.m. on Saturday morning after a marathon 21-hour session. As I wrote in prior weekly messages, their overall agenda came to a screeching halt following the mass shootings and anticipated SCOTUS Roe v. Wade rulings. NYSTPBA 2nd Vice President John Clark has a detailed breakdown on his web page on the PBA website. In addition, he will be holding a Zoom meeting to discuss and answer any questions you may have regarding specific legislation and/or this legislative session. Monday, June 13, 2022 @ 7 P.M. [Corrected time from original posting] Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/5955994523?pwd=bVQrRFZaZHlieXZ5VEg2MVN5VUJ0dz09 Meeting ID: 595 599 4523 Passcode: 820256 One tap mobile +16465588656,,5955994523#,,,,*820256# US (New York) Here is a brief synopsis of the session: The Good The following NYSTPBA-endorsed bills passed both the Senate and Assembly and await the Governor’s signature:
NYSP Child Care Act - This is a State Police specific bill that allows for members to purchase back service credit while out on leave taking care of a newborn or adopted child. I want to thank Capt. & PBA Officers Alternate Delegate Reva Navarro for her assistance in getting this bill passed. Sarcastically, I want to thank the two major unions who tried their damnedest to scuttle it because their members weren’t included. This is why we can’t have nice things.
NYC-DEP Service Credit - Allows time with NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYCERS) to transfer over to New York State local Police and Fire (PFRS) - affects a dozen or so current SP members.
Heart Disease Presumption - Heart disease resulting in disability shall be presumptive evidence that it occurred in the performance of your duties and was accidental.
Retiree Health Insurance - Calls for retiree health insurance to be protected under the Collective Bargaining Agreement from which they retired.
Bridge Re-naming Trooper Memorials for the following members who lost their lives in the line of duty: Trooper Brian S. Falb (March 3, 2017), Trooper Martin J. Kerins (August 21, 1938), Trooper John J. Lane (May 13, 1928).
The Digitus III Manus Award (middle finger) for this legislative session goes to Sen. Jabari Brisport (D-Brooklyn) for his consistent nay vote on every piece of the aforementioned legislation. Yes, the Senate Chair of Children and Families voted against the NYSP Child Care Act. Can you say H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-S-Y?
The Bad Tier 6 Fix, DROP Program, Prior Deputy/Corrections Time - I’ve spoken about these three previously and I place these three under this category because we were unable to get them across the goal line, at least during this session. The Ugly These “ugly” pieces - Qualified Immunity Repeal and the NY Health Act - which would have adversely affected NYSTPBA members, were thankfully stopped. "People with ropes around their necks don’t always hang." - Lee Van Cleef aka Angel-eyes, The Bad. NYSTPBA Education Payment You should have received your education payment in this last paycheck (June 8). The amounts are as follows: Associate’s Degree: $250 Bachelor’s Degree: $500 Graduate Degree: $750 This Week’s Sign that the Apocalypse is Upon Us Besides topics such as public safety, the environment and ethics, last week’s hour-long debate among the three Democratic gubernatorial candidates – Gov. Kathy Hochul, Congressman Tom Suozzi and NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams – there was a segment asking candidates to provide "one-word" responses in a lightning round of questions that included: Do you believe in ghosts? Hochul: I speak to my mother all of the time; communicate with someone no longer with us. Suozzi: No, but spirits though. Williams: Man of faith, so not necessarily ghosts, but afterlife. Superman or Batman? Hochul: Superwoman. Suozzi: Superman. Williams: Batman. Go-to karaoke song? Hochul: "Sweet Caroline," Neil Diamond. Suozzi: "Beyond the Sea," Bobby Darin. Williams: "Pretty Wings," Maxwell. So, our future leadership may (or may not) hinge on a DC Comics character or a catchy tune. I can’t wait until the Republicans debate so the voters can make an educated decision. “You see in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend. Those with loaded guns, and those who dig. You dig." - Clint Eastwood aka Blondie, The Good. This Week’s Sign that the Apocalypse is Upon Us: Part II Seattle, the hotbed of the defund the police movement, is being forced to pay back $5 million in illegally issued parking tickets following a recent court ruling. Since the fall of 2021, more than 100,000 parking tickets had been issued and 10,000 vehicles were towed due to the actions of city “parking enforcement officers” who had been hired to replace the police but no one thought enough to give them the authority to actually write tickets or tow vehicles. "God's not on our side because he hates idiots." - Clint Eastwood aka Blondie, The Good. Oops Apparently, the anti-body armor bill (although the words “body armor” do not even appear anywhere in the bill) signed by Governor Hochul on June 6 doesn’t prohibit the type of body armor worn by the 18-year-old Buffalo supermarket gunman it was inspired by. The gunman wore a plate carrier, not the soft body armor or “vests” the newly-signed law now prohibits the purchase of. According to Warren Eller, an associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the omission of hard body armor in the new law was unbelievable. According to Mr. Eller, “If that is in fact the case, that may be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” And this is why we should not rush and pass kneejerk, feel-good legislation in response to every tragedy that befalls our society. On another note, last week I gave my opinion that there was no room for civilians outside of law enforcement to possess body armor. I did receive a response from a retired member who stated, in part, “As a retired member I am now a civilian. My consulting and training LLC does firearms training as part of our training options (we are certified NRA firearms instructors). Whenever I am on the range with students, I wear a vest. You and I have surely seen unsafe actions by new shooters on the range. This is a safety issue for us, and really wearing a vest on any range is a good idea. Also, in our active shooter training program we have several clients (businesspeople) that use Kevlar panel inserts in their backpacks. This law will not stop any committed bad guy from acquiring body armor. It will just keep good people from getting it. Just my opinion respectfully submitted for your consideration.” I agree that there must be an intelligent way to enact any supposed fix and I definitely have not thought through the list of possible exemptions, but as NYSTPBA President, I believe it is incumbent upon us to make sure that our members have a tactical advantage whenever they respond to a scene. Who can forget the 1997 North Hollywood shootout between two heavily armed and armored bank robbers and the Los Angeles Police Department? The good guys prevailed in the end but only after 12 officers and eight civilians were wounded. I’m sure we will see this topic again in January at the start of the next legislative session, but I appreciate the additional points that should be considered. "You may run the risks, my friend, but I do the cutting. We cut down my percentage...liable to interfere with my aim." - Clint Eastwood aka Blondie, The Good. The Pendulum Swings Back Another example of how the so-called pendulum has started to swing back after two years of lunacy is that the people of San Francisco (yes, deeply liberal San Francisco) have decided that they have had enough of District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s soft on crime approach and have recalled him. This is likely to reverberate far beyond San Francisco and certainly is a blow to a national movement toward more lenient (aka nonexistent) prosecution. Somewhere, in the bowels of an underground crypt, George Soros’ sarcophagus shook as he rolled over in it (I know he isn’t dead yet, but have you seen a picture of him lately?). "When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk." - Eli Wallach aka Tuco, The Ugly. They’re Back - Ben & Jerry’s The same two so-called criminal justice reform advocates who pushed for an end to qualified immunity and advocated to defund the police are now calling on their customers to lobby lawmakers for tighter gun control laws and the firm says it will “sever ties with any 'enablers' of the firearms industry.” It’s been estimated that roughly 15 million Americans hunt so if you are considering us enablers, then after careful consideration, your terms are acceptable. "Every gun makes its own tune." - Clint Eastwood aka Blondie, The Good. Roach Motel In case you had not heard, earlier this week a group of criminals (or as the media referred to them - “activists”) created an intentional distraction in the Albany City Courthouse by releasing hundreds of Madagascar hissing cockroaches in the courtroom, causing officials to shut down the location for the rest of the day. Apparently, it was in protest over the State Police arrests of demonstrators who were objecting to rent issues at the state Capitol last month. One of the ringleaders was the external relations upstate coordinator for the state Senate Majority Conference Services Office. The now-former employee was charged with tampering with physical evidence, criminal contempt, obstruction of governmental administration and resisting arrest. First off, a tip of the hat to the Troopers assigned to the Capitol for doing their jobs. I wonder what these “activists” will release at the next court appearance – Murder Hornets? "Such ingratitude, after all the times I saved your life." - Clint Eastwood aka Blondie, The Good. Quote of the Week “No one takes criminal justice seriously anymore. These bad guys … believe the criminal justice system is the laughingstock of our entire country.… sometimes I just feel with some lawmakers, they are not dealing in reality — idealism can displace realism.” - NYC Mayor Eric Adams as he recently detailed a scenario in which the NYPD spent a year working on a case resulting in an arrest, only to have the suspect immediately released while awaiting trial. Another Quote "We will be ready to defend these laws against challenges. The Second Amendment is not absolute." - New York State Attorney General Letitia James on the impending U.S. Supreme Court case in the coming weeks that is expected to overturn NYC’s concealed carry ban. I’m not an attorney or a constitutional scholar, however, I believe a Supreme Court decision is pretty damn absolute (unless they overturn it themselves). I guess, to her credit, she was only parroting President Joe Biden when he stated last Thursday, “The Second Amendment, like all other rights, is not absolute.” Monkeypox And the award for the location of the first confirmed monkeypox case in New York state goes to…Sullivan County! Andy? “Hurrah! Down with General Grant! Hurrah for General... what's his name?" - Eli Wallach aka Tuco, The Ugly. This email is an automated notification, which is unable to receive replies. To send a comment to the NYSTPBA, please contact us at nystpba@nystpba.org
The Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers 120 State St. Albany, New York 12207 (518) 462-7448 http://www.nystpba.org