Relates to establishing the "police officer protection fund" for the purpose of retrofitting officer patrol vehicles with bullet-proof glass

2 Co-sponsors

• Martin J. Golden
• Kathleen A. Marchione

BILL NUMBER:S1710

Title of bill

An act to amend the state finance law and the tax law, in relation to establishing the police officer protection fund

Summary of specific provisions

This bill adds a new a new section 99-w to the state Finance Law and will provide the following provisions:

1. A special fund to be known as the "police officer protection fund" is hereby established in the custody of the state comptroller and the commissioner of taxation and finance.

2. The fund shall consist of all monies transferred to such fund Pursuant to law, all monies required by any provision of law to be paid Into or credited to the fund, all monies from gifts pursuant to section Six hundred thirty-d of the tax law and any interest earnings which may Accrue from the investment of monies in the fund. Nothing contained herein shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts or bequests for the purposes of the fund as defined in this section and depositing them into the fund according to law.

3. Monies of the fund, when allocated, shall be available to the division of criminal justice services for the purpose of establishing and implementing a program to retrofit all patrol vehicles of the New York Police Department, and thereafter all patrol vehicles of the New York State police, with bulletproof glass.

4. Monies shall be payable from the fund on the audit and warrant of The comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the commissioner Additionally, this bill adds a new a new section 630-d to the state Tax Law which will enable an individual in any taxable year to contribute to the police Officer protection fund via a voluntary contribution on their New York State form.

Justification

In December of 2014, a gunman mercilessly assassinated two NYPD officers (Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu) through the front passenger window of their patrol car as the police officers were sitting in the parked vehicle keeping watch over a neighborhood in Brooklyn. The windows in this vehicle and others in the Department's fleet are not equipped to withstand gunfire, hence compromising the safety and well-being of our law enforcement officials.

This life-saving reinforcement does exist in the vehicles of high-ranking government officials and dignitaries. If it is good enough for high-ranking government officials and dignitaries to ride around in cars with bullet-proof glass, then it should be for our cops who put their lives on the line and are being tracked down and murdered like prey.

We provide police offers with bullet proof vests to protect them when they are on the streets patrolling. We should give them equal

protection when they are in their patrol cars. This bill accomplishes that goal.

Bulletproof windows are one common sense and appropriate step in ensuring our police officers have the protection they need and deserve as they risk their lives to serve and protect the citizens of our state.

Prior legislative history

New Bill.

Fiscal implications

To be determined.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.