PRESS RELEASE: Specialized Police Union Questions Hochul’s Commitment to Law Enforcement During State Fair
Wednesday, August 21, 2024Governor’s Weird Spending Priorities Effectively Defund the Police but Support Criminals and Special Interests
Albany, NY (August 21, 2024) – The PBA of New York State (PBANYS), the union representing New York’s specialized state police units, today launched an education campaign at the New York State Fair on how Governor Kathy Hochul has effectively defunded the police through her reckless spending and budget priorities.
During the first week of the New York State Fair a PBANYS mobile billboard will circle the Fairgrounds with a simple message – Hochul Defunds Police. To illustrate that point, PBANYS provides three examples of Hochul’s budget priorities that in total will cost New York taxpayers nearly $9 billion including $2 billion for services to illegal immigrants, billions in support of her all-electric school bus mandate, and nearly $1 billion for a new football stadium in her hometown of Buffalo.
Jim McCartney, president of PBANYS, said, “Many of the public safety threats our citizens face are of Governor Hochul’s own making including cashless bail, raise the age, clean slate legislation, and illegal immigrants overwhelming our communities. The Governor has claimed repeatedly that she supports law enforcement, yet her actions betray her words. All our members ask is to be treated the same as nearly every other police officer in New York state and receive the 20-year retirement benefit that our state legislature has passed with near bi-partisan unanimity for the past four years – and she has vetoed three times. Hochul can’t find $60 million for that but she has BILLIONS for illegal immigrants and special interests? That’s just weird.”
Since taking office Governor Hochul has vetoed critical retirement parity legislation for the more than 1,100 New York State University Police, Park Police, Environmental Conservation Officers, and Forest Rangers. As a result, these units are critically understaffed, cannot effectively recruit new officers, nor retain the officers that the taxpayers of New York State have invested so dearly in to train and field. Instead of making what amounts to a “budget rounding error” and providing New York’s specialized police officers with a fair and equitable retirement Hochul instead finds billions for pet projects at the expense of police and public safety.
Matt Krug, PBANYS vice-president, said, “As New York’s environmental protectors we are not attacking green initiatives that will improve air quality and protect environmental health – quite the opposite. New York City has one of the highest respiratory ailment rates in the nation not because we don’t have electric vehicles but because we don’t have the Environmental Conservation Officers to ensure that all of our environmental health laws are followed. We are more than 80 officers short statewide, we have only 8 Environmental Conservation Officers on patrol to protect nearly 10 million New York City residents. We can’t field the officers we need because Governor Hochul is cheaping out on recruitment and retention. That’s just weird.”
Christopher Rola, PBANYS vice-president, added, “As a resident of Western New York there is excitement about a new stadium, but before there was football, people from around the world flocked to Niagara Falls to witness one of the great wonders of the world. Park Police Officers have been protecting this majestic resource, and those who visit it, since 1885. Yet, we are losing highly trained officers who specialize in community relations and difficult life-saving rescue techniques to agencies that offer better pay and a retirement five years earlier than we can. How can Governor Hochul find nearly a billion dollars for a football stadium but nothing to support hard-working union laborers who save lives? That’s just weird.”
McCartney concluded, “We hope the public will see our billboard and ask their state legislators why Governor Hochul is not working with them to provide our specialized community police officers with the dignity and fair retirement they deserve. Every parent with a child at SUNY, everyone who cherishes clean water and air, and every resident who wants to safeguard our cultural, historical, and natural wonders should be asking Governor Hochul how she can ask so much from these women and men who are willing to sacrifice everything for the people of our great state and yet offer them so little in return. I think every New Yorker would join in saying, ‘Governor, that’s just weird!’”
PBA of New York State representatives will be available at the opening of the Great New York State Fair on Wednesday, August 21st for interviews. PBA representatives will also be available virtually throughout the duration of the State Fair for media not in attendance. Please contact Michael Bucci at 518-423-9215 to schedule availability.
High resolution images of the billboard panels can be accessed at:
“Billions for illegal immigrants zero for police pensions & retention” (rotating side panel)
“Billions for electric school buses zero for police pensions & retention” (rotating side panel)
“Billions for Buffalo Stadium zero for police pensions & retention” (rotating side panel)
“Hochul Defunds Police” (rear panel)
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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.
