Message from NYSTPBA President Tom Mungeer, September 2, 2022
NYSTPBA Newsletter Message from NYSTPBA President Tom Mungeer NTC Picnic - Thursday, September 8, 2022 – Buffalo, NY If you haven’t already done so, please purchase your NTC picnic tickets ASAP. Tickets can be purchased through this link: https://form.jotform.com/221183758247158 Not So Fast Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James were gloating Wednesday after a federal judge dismissed a legal challenge to New York’s new concealed carry law for lack of standing. Stated our Governor, “The Supreme Court — with all this data, with all this knowledge, with a law that was working just fine in our state — decided to take us backwards, possibly opening the door to more tragedies. When people can carry guns concealed, it makes it harder for law enforcement.” Our esteemed AG added, “As gun violence continues to impact communities across the country, today’s decision is a victory in our efforts to protect New Yorkers. Responsible gun control measures save lives and any attempts by the gun lobby to tear down New York’s sensible gun control laws will be met with fierce defense.” However, U.S. Chief District Judge Glenn Suddaby wrote, “While pursuing the laudable goal of public safety, and in an attempt to curb ever-increasing mass shootings…in its eight-day haste to pass a legislative responsive to the Supreme Court’s Decision…the New York State Legislature has generated an unconstitutional statute in [the new law].” Call me crazy, but it looks like Wednesday’s victory party might be short-lived. I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk? - Dirty Harry Callahan Final Patrol Our friend Ray Salvie, 97, peacefully rode his final patrol this morning. Ray was a proud member of the Greatest Generation. He joined the State Police on Nov. 1, 1954 and retired from Troop D - SP Lafayette as a Senior Investigator on Nov. 25, 1979. As a member of the Marine Corps, he fought in and survived the Battle of Iwo Jima. Rest in peace, Ray. Gallup Poll A recent Gallup Poll found that 71 percent of Americans approve of labor unions, the highest approval recorded since 1965. What can I say? Having a strong union backing you is beneficial for both labor and management - especially in today’s knee-jerk reactionary society. Headline of the Week DeSantis skips Zeldin fundraiser to attend service for fallen Florida officer Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis canceled a $25,000-a-plate fundraiser in Oyster Bay for Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin last Sunday night in order to attend services for Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent Jose Perez, who died 18 days after sustaining injuries after his car was struck by a drunk driver on Aug 2. Sucks for Zeldin’s fundraising arm, but it’s refreshing to see Governor DeSantis do the right thing and support law enforcement. Now, Governor, pay your Troopers a living wage as they are currently among the lowest paid in the nation. Our own version of the Passenger Pigeon Sen. Brad Hoylman has proposed legislation that would require automakers to incorporate speed limiting technology into new cars. If the bill passes, any passenger vehicle built after January 1, 2024 that is registered in the state will need to have "advanced safety technology." The legislation further reads, "Studies have shown that Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) alone can reduce traffic fatalities by 20 percent.” Speed cameras, autonomous vehicles and ISA - oh my! Am I disparaging an initiative which, on its face, appears to increase safety? Well, it is Division’s problem to worry about enforcement of the V&T laws to increase safety. It’s my job to make sure New York State Troopers still have a job. Until the late 1980s, railroad unions were successful in keeping laws intact that required all freight trains in North America to have a caboose and a full crew for safety. Eventually, technology advanced to the point where the caboose was rendered obsolete and numerous union positions were lost as a result. This Week’s Sign the Apocalypse is Upon Us In a recent USA Today-Ipsos poll, Sen. Bernie Sanders received the highest favorability rating among a list of 23 potential 2024 presidential contenders with 46 percent of respondents stating they had a somewhat favorable view toward him, while 41 percent said they had an unfavorable opinion. The remaining 13% stated they would rather get a root canal without Novocaine than even entertain such a question. Ending on a Positive Note This week’s feel-good story comes via Spectrum News and features my friend and fellow NYSP history buff, John Fallon. If you’d like to learn more about the history of the state police, the State Police Museum at the Law Enforcement exhibit is a great stop for Law Enforcement Day at the Great New York State Fair today. We recently met one investigator who has put forth a great effort to develop the museum. John Fallon has a passion for history and the state police. The senior investigator will retire this December after more than 37 years with the force. For many of those years — he’s been able to work at the State Fair. “In 1988, I came to my first State Fair as a uniform trooper and was assigned to an interior gate. I’ve worked at the main gate and then on patrol on the grounds," said Fallon. Fallon eventually took on a role collecting artifacts and putting together photos and documents on the state police. Five years ago when preparations began for a 100th anniversary — Fallon became heavily involved in setting up the new museum on the fairgrounds. “This is a collection of items that are in the Museum of the New York Police Academy. Some of the items are from troop headquarters, spread throughout the state and other ones are privately owned,” Fallon said. Since the state police museum at the fair opened in 2017, Fallon has not only helped set up the displays but he’s also worked each fair to talk to guests. His history knowledge has made him perfect for the job. “One of the cool things about this, they’ve been moved emotionally when they see it. One, because they may have been proud of their service or their family members’ service. But there are a lot of people that are just supporters of the police," said Fallon. This is Fallon's last summer as an officer before he retires. Like always, you can find him in the museum ready to share his knowledge. He’s proud of what the entire state police exhibit offers today. “I feel good about what we’ve done here. I’m proud of being a state trooper and I’ll always be one in my heart,” he said. Fallon is originally from the Utica area and joined the state police in 1985. He spent the majority of his career as a state trooper and investigator with Troop D. He said he believes every family should visit the law enforcement exhibit to pick up some very helpful information. https://link.edgepilot.com/s/c5f07378/H7rIYzv4HE6R0ZmSIEjN0w?u=https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2022/08/29/long-time-state-police-officer-displays-history--pride-at-fair?cid=app_share Brave New World I’m sure that you’ve heard that California approved a plan to end the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035. That was last week. This week, the California Independent System Operator, which oversees the state’s flow of electricity, urged residents to avoid charging their electric vehicles over the upcoming Labor Day weekend, when temperatures are expected to hit triple digits, particularly from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m, when the state’s power grid experiences the highest demand as residents turn on their air conditioning and solar energy production declines as the sun sets. I know this has absolutely zero to do with law enforcement, however, I wonder how long before our political leaders will think that an all-electric state fleet is a great idea? Prepare to plug in that Troop car, everyone. In the state’s ultimate wisdom, they’ll probably only provide one charging station per barracks. I can picture it now - it’ll be like the old days when the end of the day patrol activity was signed out in the blotter and the senior Trooper got to sign theirs out first and so on until the junior Trooper finally got their turn a half hour later. 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