Saratoga, New York – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik today hosted a virtual roundtable with law enforcement representatives from the North Country and across New York to provide a legislative update and hear from these law enforcement leaders on working together to support law enforcement and keep our communities safe.
“I appreciate the opportunity to host today’s roundtable to listen to the needs and concerns facing our law enforcement community, so I can bring them to the highest levels of Congress,” Stefanik said. “The North Country is home to tens of thousands of local, county, state, federal, and retired law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line daily to protect our communities, and I am proud to always advocate to provide them and their families with the resources they deserve. In the face of many of New York State’s failed policy proposals, including defunding the police, reducing bail, the refusal to prosecute crimes, and prison closures, I will always back the blue.”
Stefanik was joined today by many representatives from the law enforcement community from the North Country and New York State, including Rich Wells, the President of the Police Conference of New York, Inc., Patrick Phelan, the Executive Director of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police (NYSACOP), Manny Vilar, the Vice President of the Police Benevolent Association of New York State, Thomas Mungeer, the President of the NYS State Troopers Police Benevolent Association, and Dan Sisto, an Officer at the NYS State Troopers Police Benevolent Association.
"If 2022 is anything like the past two years, then it will be another tough year for law enforcement and the New York State Troopers will need backup more than ever whether it is on patrol or in the legislative halls of government. It is refreshing that we have someone like Congresswoman Elise Stefanik who has consistently demonstrated that she is willing to step up and support the men and women who don a uniform and help protect the citizens of this state every day of the year," said Thomas Mungeer, President of New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association.
"NYSACOP is proud to be a partner with Congresswoman Stefanik. She has always supported law enforcement and we are grateful for her leadership on public safety issues," said Chief (Ret) Patrick Phelan, Executive Director of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police.
Stefanik has always backed the blue and opposed any and all calls to defund the police. She is a proud co-sponsor of:
- The Back the Blue Act to authorize funding for more officer hiring and salary increases for state and local law enforcement,
- The Local Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2021 to incentivize states to provide robust qualified immunity to law enforcement officers,
- The Law Enforcement Officer Equity Act to guarantee police officers across the federal government receive their full retirement benefits,
- The Patrick Underwood Law Enforcement Protection Act to increase penalties for assault on a federal officer in U.S. Code by heightening fines and establishing mandatory imprisonment for assault with a deadly weapon,
- The David Dorn Act, which doubles the maximum imprisonment for rioting to 10 years and establishes a mandatory fine of $1,000,
- The Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila Federal Law Enforcement Protection Act to protect officers by allowing the United States to prosecute the murder of a federal officer that occurs outside the U.S., which was passed into law, and
- The JUSTICE Act, the Republican alternative to Nancy Pelosi’s Defund the Police legislation.
- Stefanik also co-led the Stop Enabling Repeat Violence and Endangering (SERVE) Our Communities Act, which would authorize $10 million in annual anti-recidivism grant funding to incentivize states and localities to invest in law enforcement.
