Statement from 1st Senate District Candidate Anthony Palumbo:

“While every person of conscience, regardless of party or race, condemns the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, today’s repeal of §50a by the Democrat controlled legislature puts the lives of our hard-working men and women in law enforcement in danger under the guise of accountability. Police records have always been available under the law, as repeatedly stated by Governor Cuomo. Democrat repeal unfairly hands out records of officers with unsubstantiated complaints, at a time when anti-police rhetoric is at an all-time high. As we watch riots in New York City, calls to defund the police, and chants to ‘kill cops,’ this is a dangerous move that can harm law enforcement who serve and protect us all.”

Statement from 2nd Senate District Candidate Mario Mattera:

“With talks in Albany centered on rapidly enacting legislation that will limit the ability of our police officers to do their jobs while destroying the morale of those who are charged with protecting our communities, it is time for our elected officials to use some common sense by slowing down to make sure they hear from all interested parties — especially those in our law enforcement community.  Unfortunately, throughout this rushed and ill-conceived movement to reform police, which is being handled in a similar fashion to last year’s Bail Reform fiasco, there has been little to no input sought from the men and women who actually protect our streets.  And, as we saw with the criminal justice “reforms” of 2019, that lack of interaction has the potential of causing harm to our public safety and it is a situation that must be avoided. 

“While everyone appreciates the gravity and depravity of the senseless murder of an unarmed man in Minneapolis, it does not reflect on the ability and professionalism of our officers.  Our state has the best law enforcement and they should not be judged by the worst actions of some who wear the badge.  They should be judged by their actions in their own state — one where any officers who fail to uphold their oath of office are held accountable for their actions in a court of law.

“The police in our community, in our region and in our state are by and large upstanding public servants who have been there for our residents throughout the best and worst of times.  In the last couple of months, they have been our steadying force throughout the COVID-19 crisis and were the heroes we needed.  And in the last couple of weeks, they have been on the frontlines of the recent uprising putting their bodies on the line to protect the rights of peaceful protestors who are protesting them and their colleagues.

“They do this because they are professionals and the leadership of our state must work with them during this important time.  They deserve to be part of any discussion relating to their vital mission and I stand with them in their efforts to be heard.  These matters are too important to the long-term future of our state and our residents to move rashly due to events in another state.”

Statement from 3rd Senate District Candidate Alexis Weik:

“George Floyd’s death must be condemned, but all police officers should not be painted as his killer. My opponent has consistently turned her back on law enforcement such as voting in favor of bail reform, which lets criminals including rioters and looters back on the street. Now the repeal of §50a allows even unsubstantiated complaints, normally investigated by Internal Affairs, to be included in the officer’s record. This creates a situation ripe for potential abuse and manipulation of an officer’s record which can put their reputation and life at risk. As the wife and mother of police officers, I worry everyday about the safety of my family, like every law enforcement family. Repeal of §50a does not allow for transparency, it opens the door for dangerous, false allegations and puts the lives of our law enforcement at risk.”

Statement from 5th Senate District Candidate Ed Smyth:

“Civil Rights Law §50a protects police officers, firefighters, paramedics, corrections officers, sheriffs and other paid peace officers throughout the State of New York from undue harassment by criminal defendants in court. Repealing 50a exposes the arresting officer’s personnel records, specifically every complaint filed -even if the complaint was unfounded or frivolous.

“Going forward, a police officer or paramedic can expect to be cross-examined in front of a jury by a DWI defendant about a totally unrelated and unsubstantiated complaint 15 years ago. §50a currently provides for judicial discretion to allow prior complaints into evidence if they are relevant. Repealing §50a.

Repeal of Civil Rights Law §50a unnecessarily strips judges of their discretion, exposes officers and firefighters to public harassment, and endangers the public.”