Seward Vows To ‘Protect

Those Who Protect Us’

‘Increased Attacks And Animosity’

Toward Police Spurs GOP Effort

ALBANY – Due to “increased attacks and animosity” toward police officers, state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, announced support for the Republican-supported “Protect Those Who Protect Us” package of bills in the state Senate.

“Our police officers are dedicated, hardworking men and women, they take their oath to protect and serve to heart and are vital to keeping our communities safe,” Seward said. “In turn, it is crucial that we stand up for our law enforcement professionals and ensure they are not the targets of violence.”

The package includes bills that would institute:

• Increasing the penalty for resisting arrest to a Class E felony;
• Creating a Class D felony for failing to retreat, if an individual defies an order to move 25 feet while an officer is performing his or her duties;
• Increasing assault on a police officer by one degree for the current crimes pertaining to assault upon a police officer, and make all of them crimes for which a judge could require the posting of bail;
• Creating a Class D felony of Aggravated Harassment of a Police or Peace Officer if an officer is struck by any substance or object including, but not limited to, bottles, rocks, bodily fluids, spittle, urine, seminal fluid, feces, flammable liquids or other noxious, hazardous or dangerous substances or objects;
• Making any crime committed against a police officer because of his or her status as a police officer a hate crime, with the concomitant increase in penalty as is currently provided with respect to hate crimes against members of other protected groups;
• Making it a Class D Felony, to falsely accuse a police officer or peace officer of wrongdoing in the performance of his or her duties, and create a private right of civil action for the officer against the false accuser;
• Making it a Class D Felony to dox a police officer or peace officer because of the officer’s status as a police or peace officer, or to dox any other person because of that person’s relationship to, or affiliation with, a police or peace officer;
• Making it a Class E Felony to follow or surveil a police or peace officer for no legitimate purpose, whether such officer is on or off duty, or to approach within one hundred yards of the private residence or place of lodging of a police officer, without the consent of said officer, for reasons related to the officer’s status or service as a police or peace officer, or for the purpose of intimidating the officer or the officer’s family;
• Providing a $500,000 benefit for police officers who are seriously disabled or die from injuries incurred in the line of duty; and
• Making Police Memorial Day on May 15 a State holiday in honor of the more than 1500 police officers who have died in the line of duty in New York.