News from NYSTPBA President Tom Mungeer

NYSTPBA Newsletter News from NYSTPBA President Tom Mungeer Mailbag I will start this newsletter on a happy note by sharing a letter I received from American hero and retired Senior Investigator Ray Salvie. Ray joined the State Police on Nov. 1, 1954 and retired from Troop D - SP Lafayette on Nov. 25, 1979. As a member of the Marine Corps, he fought in and survived the Battle of Iwo Jima. A proud member of the Greatest Generation. Jan. 7, 2022 Dear Tom: Thank you for all the mailings you have sent me. I truly appreciate your efforts. I trust that you have information on my being a provisional Trooper as I am the sole survivor. It was a program that was discontinued right after I joined in 1954. I never knew anyone who was part of that failed program. I had faith in the NYST PBA in those early years, as I thought it would develop into something good for the Troopers later on. The passing of the Taylor Law became a great assistance to the NYST PBA as it gave the Board of Directors the power to improve working conditions. I am doing OK health wise and hope it continues. At 97, I am the last living survivor of the Iwo Jima battle in all of upstate NY. Fraternally, Ray Thank you, sir, for both your service to our country and state. The White House’s Renewed Attacks on Law Enforcement I have received word from the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) that a draft Presidential Executive Order on police reform is being circulated. Through its various provisions, the draft Executive Order, in effect, sets up a situation where the Department of Justice will be managing the hiring, training, deployment, and policy - including use of force and equipment - for every state and local agency. This Order would implement much of the police reform legislative proposals championed by Sen. Cory Booker which luckily went down in flames last summer, thanks largely to the efforts of Sen. Tim Scott and police organizations such as NAPO and the National Troopers Coalition. The new proposed Executive Order cannot do away with qualified immunity or expand Section 242 of U.S. Title 18 (criminal prosecution of officers for civil rights violations) as it is an Executive Order, not a law, but it does recommend that Congress make significant changes to those long-standing officer protections. The Order does specifically: · Require every federal law enforcement agency to review its use of force policy to ensure it includes de-escalation, duty to intervene to stop excessive force and render medical aid after use of force, and the use of deadly force as a last resort “when there is no reasonable alternative, in other words only when necessary to prevent imminent and serious bodily injury or death.” · Repeal President Trump’s Executive Order allowing full access to state and local law enforcement to surplus military equipment and re-enacts President Obama’s Executive Order banning most equipment and seriously restricting other gear. · Require all federal law enforcement to use body-worn cameras and prohibits federal law enforcement officers from reviewing or receiving an accounting of any of their own BWC video until all required reports, statements or interviews regarding the recording are completed. · Repeal President Trump’s Executive Order 13929 (June 2020), Safe Policing for Safer Communities. Please note, this Executive Order, which would be repealed, and which NAPO supported, does call for Due Process in investigations of officers. It is important that we make our objections known that this draft Order is a bad proposal that does nothing to safeguard officers’ rights or safety and we urge that it should not be issued. The Honorable Joseph R. Biden President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 Ambassador Susan E. Rice Director Domestic Policy Council Room 469 Eisenhower Executive Office Building Washington, D.C. 20502 Bail Reform Hissy Fit Last week we heard from Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins on the possibility of rolling back the ill-conceived, so-called bail reform laws this legislative session and this week the Speaker weighed in through his spokesman - “The speaker continues to be frustrated by the misinformation campaign that is being waged around bail reform.” Meanwhile, with session barely out of the starting gate, Republicans convened with a swath of Long Island law enforcement in the state Capitol this week to bash the 2019 bail reform measures they’ve characterized as a “Get Out of Jail Free card” for individuals who they fear are likely to commit future crimes once back on the streets. Even though Republicans will certainly make the bail law a key plank as they look to make gains in November, the Democrats are staying to script especially in light of newly-released data which they say bolster the bail law’s effectiveness. Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris recently commented on the data showing that roughly 2 percent of about 100,000 cases relating to the changed law led to a rearrest on a violent felony while the individual’s case was still open. “We see that over 98 percent of people out on these laws are not re-offending with serious crimes, so it seems the data is justifying what we did, despite all the misinformation and lies that are out there,” he said. Well Senator, that’s 2,000 additional victims and if you add the fact that one-fifth of the bail-related cases led to someone being rearrested for ANY offense, including misdemeanors or felonies, that’s 20,000 new victims being affected by these misguided changes to the law! Nero [still] fiddles while Rome burns. Quote of the Week They would have you believe that every criminal is really … a victim of the system. But this [Republican] conference believes that criminals are criminals and victims are the ones we never seem to talk about. And we know that cashless bail has created more victims. - Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt Stay Tuned Former Gov. Andrew “Houdini” Cuomo and his PR mouthpiece “Team Cuomo” sent out an email earlier this week in the wake of the apparent cases of “cold feet” that have been afflicting numerous district attorneys as of late. The missive titled “stay tuned” read in part - Three district attorneys have now reviewed James' report and evidence and have proven that what we said all along was correct -- the law was not broken and not a single case has been brought. The James report was not a legal review, but a sham to generate a press frenzy and political firestorm to clear the way for her own run for higher office. Sounds like someone is feeling a renewed sense of empowerment and I believe I just threw up in my mouth. This Week’s Sign that the Apocalypse is Upon Us New York City Democratic lawmakers, led by the New York City contingent (surprise) and environmental advocates, are pushing for a requirement that all new buildings in the state be fully electric by the beginning of 2024. For a single-family upstate home, that would mean at least another $10,000 in construction costs, not to mention what the future electric bills will be. The ideas being pitched these last few weeks, which include banning the burning of wood and propane (I guess we’re going back to 1970s era charcoal grills again), have been a Progressive’s wet dream. President Stefanik? On Monday, I had the honor of being included on a Zoom call with Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, during which she asked for input on how she could help law enforcement in her current capacity. One thing is for sure - she supports New York State Troopers and I had to smile when former President Donald Trump heaped praise on her on Tuesday, stating she could very well be commander-in-chief in 2028. Jac·o·bin (jăk′ə-bĭn) n., A radical or extreme leftist. Every morning, I scour over scores of New York state related articles compiled by both Politico as well as the Empire Report looking for relevant information as it pertains to the state, our profession and more specifically, the New York State Police. One article, which was published in The Jacobin, the leading Socialist rag,caught my eye the other day, and although I cannot get back the 10 minutes of my life that it took to read it, the message it pushed was chilling. The Cliff Notes version read like the following: Tax the rich, blah, blah, blah. Defund the police, blah, blah, blah. Free shit for everyone, blah, blah, blah. However, the theme that “Democratic Socialists are slowly becoming a force in New York state politics” should be a reality check for everyone. Elections have consequences and we must be hyper-vigilant this coming year. Elections Have Consequences - Crossing the GWB and into San Francisco??? As reported last week, newly sworn-in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s internal memo titled “Day One Polices & Procedures” specifically stated that “armed robbers who use guns or other deadly weapons to hold up stores and other businesses will be prosecuted only for petty larceny, a misdemeanor, provided no victims were seriously injured and there’s no ‘genuine risk of physical harm’ to anyone.” True to his misguided word, there is now a real-life example of this bastardization of our criminal justice system. Recently, a 30-year-old subject used scissors to fend off employees of a TJ Maxx in Chelsea who tried to stop him from stealing a pair of women’s shoes and linens. The man - who’s been arrested 21 times with nine cases still open including robbery with a deadly weapon and assault — was arrested at the store and charged with robbery, criminal possession of stolen property and possession of a crack pipe. The office of D.A. Alvin Bragg dropped the robbery charge and instead charged the man with shoplifting. Hall was released without bail. According to Vincent Vallelong, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, “the ADA preparing the accusatory instrument intentionally omitted all facts related to the perp threatening the employees with a weapon. Fortunately, the arresting officer had the sense to refuse to sign.” In addition, he sent the following to his membership, “If the Manhattan DA wants to rewrite penal law, make him own it.” I will echo my counterpart in the SBA that any of our members who make an arrest in the borough of Manhattan, make sure you dot your “i’s” and cross your “t’s.” Quote of the Week – Leadership 101 NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell sent a strong message to her rank-and-file regarding the controversial Alvin Bragg policies: “I strongly believe that this policy injects debate into decisions that would otherwise be uncontroversial, will invite violence against police officers and will have deleterious effects on our relationship with the communities we protect. I am very concerned about the implications to your safety as police officers, the safety of the public and justice for the victims.” PBA Trooper Magazine Deadline Please share your photos and stories for publication in the next PBA Trooper magazine. We welcome written stories from members about their work and community activities during these unprecedented times. Please also continue to send photos of members at work in the station and in the field, hunting and fishing, members in the military, and new arrivals in members’ families. Photos and stories should be sent by January 31 to Michele Crisafulli at mcrisafulli@nystpba.org. Voluntary Insurance Open Enrollment: Disability, Accident, Critical Illness There is currently an open enrollment for active members for long-term disability insurance, as well as short-term disability, specified disease and accident coverage policies for the entire month of January. The first step to choosing the right benefits is understanding the importance of each option: accident insurance, critical illness insurance, disability insurance. Accidents happen and can be very costly. Even the best medical plans may leave you with additional out-of-pocket expenses when dealing with the unexpected. Accident insurance can help you be better prepared. There are over 150 covered events that could trigger benefits, including injuries, hospitalization, medical services and treatments. You can help protect your family and your budget from the financial impact of a critical illness. Coverage includes conditions such as heart attack, cancer or stroke. You’ll get a lump sum payment directly to you to use in any way you see fit, whether it’s for everyday living expenses or out-of-pocket medical costs like copays and deductibles. Whether it’s a pregnancy or an unexpected illness or accident, disability insurance can help you be better financially prepared. It replaces a portion of your income if you can’t work due to a covered sickness, pregnancy or accidental injury. The benefit summaries are posted on the NYSTPBA website for your review. If you have any questions, please contact EPIC Risk Solutions at 845-360-5885 or epicrisksolutions5@outlook.com and speak to Emma Kruger or Dawn Stewart. They can walk you through the benefits and the enrollment process. Final Thoughts As a fan of the hapless Jets, I can only stand on the sidelines and watch the epic Bills-Patriots game this weekend in what is forecasted as wicked cold weather, even by Buffalo standards. Most of my enjoyment, however, will be watching the ball-busting unfold in the form of memes and text messages between the large contingent of Buffalo natives on the Board of Directors and First Vice President Andy Davis, who happens to be a native of Maine and a true-blue Patriots fan (as well he should be). So, let’s sit on the couch, turn up the heat, pour a nice glass of fine bourbon with a big rock (I’m thinking Jefferson’s Ocean) and let the game(s) begin… 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