PRESS RELEASE: During Climate Week Police Union Encourages Governor Hochul to Support New York’s Environmental Enforcement Officers
Tuesday, September 24, 2024State Increases Demands on Environmental Conservation Officers and Forest Rangers Without Providing Necessary Funding and Staffing
Albany, NY (September 24, 2024) – As the world observes Climate Week, recognizing the threats posed to environmental health and public safety by climate change, the PBA of New York State and its Environmental Conservation Officer and Forest Ranger members are calling on Governor Hochul to back her pledge of environmental stewardship with the staffing and resources necessary to fight climate change.
New York state has long been a leader and visionary in environmental protection, and we are home to some of the most magnificent bodies of water, teaming forests, majestic mountains, and fertile agricultural land – all of which are threatened by climate change. As the state of New York acquires more land with the goal of preserving and protecting it, it is failing to make a similar and crucial investment in specialized law enforcement officers whose purpose and training are to protect these vital resources for future generations.
Jim McCartney, president of the PBA of New York State, said, “We are fortunate to have the most professional and highly trained environmental protectors in the nation. New York’s Environmental Conservation Officers and Forest Rangers are doing Herculean work and they are taking on more and more responsibility with fewer resources. We are losing officers to agencies that offer better pay and a shorter path to retirement and we need Governor Hochul to provide our members with pension equity so we can recruit and retain the officers needed to deliver on her environmental promises.”
A recent Adirondack Explorer story highlighted just how dangerous staffing levels currently are at the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Law Enforcement and Division of Forest Protection. Millions of additional acres of forest lands have been added to the state’s inventory while staffing for Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) remains at 1970’s levels. In rural Upstate ECOs frequently find that they are assigned to cover multiple counties alone. Similarly, while New York City contains half of the state’s population there are fewer than a dozen ECOs in the field to protect 9 million people.
These staffing shortages are only exacerbated by the difficulty in recruitment caused by an antiquated retirement plan – why take on the demands and responsibilities of being an ECO or Forest Ranger when you can make more and retire earlier with nearly every other police agency in the state? Recent academies have done little to overcome staffing shortages. While the state approved the hire of 25 more Forest Rangers, only 9 candidates qualified for and accepted an academy placement. Similarly, 45 more ECOs were approved but there are only 27 candidates in the current class.
It’s not just staffing shortages that compromise the mission of our environmental protectors, Forest Rangers find themselves having to purchase their own gear to allow them to operate in hostile environments safely and effectively as they perform perilous rescues of the lost and injured. Forest Rangers have been raising this issue for years to no avail and have even resorted to creating a foundation to raise funds for expensive but critical gear. There is simply no excuse not to provide these highly trained and specialized police officers with the tools they require to complete their specialized and life-saving mission.
McCartney continued, “The dedication of Forest Rangers and Environmental Conservation Officers is unparalleled, but they need our help to continue their crucial work effectively. By investing in additional staffing, better equipment, and robust mental health support to help them cope with the ever-increasing stress of their jobs, we are not only protecting our environment but also ensuring that those who protect it receive the support they need.”
The New York State Legislature has passed pension equity legislation for PBA of New York State members with near unanimity for four years in a row, and it has been vetoed each time. Following indications from Governor Hochul that pension issues needed to be dealt with as part of the state budget process, the PBA called for it to be included in her budget - to no avail. The legislature responded and showed their continued support by including it in their budget proposals, but they were rebuffed by the governor during final budget negotiations. It is time for everyone to come together in the interest of New York’s environmental health and make it a budget priority so the state can properly recruit, retain, and support our environmental protectors.
As we observe Climate Week and recognize that we are running out of time to reverse the dangerous threats to our state’s unparalleled natural resources, the PBA of New York State stands with the legislature and encourages Governor Hochul to show her commitment to environmental stewardship by including the standard 20-year police pension for PBA of New York State members in her forthcoming budget proposal.
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ABOUT the PBA of New York State: Established in 2011, the Police Benevolent Association of New York State (PBA of New York State), is a law enforcement labor union representing the interests of more than 1,100 members of the New York State Agency Police Services Unit (APSU). The PBA of New York State is the exclusive bargaining agent for the New York State University (SUNY) Police, the New York State Environmental Conservation Police, the New York State Park Police, and the New York State Forest Rangers. Our members police and protect New York State’s public universities and colleges; state parks and historic sites; and they enforce state laws and protect our lands and forests and ensure environmental safety and quality throughout the state.
