Dear Governor Hochul,

We write today as the officers, family members and supporters of the Police Benevolent Association of New York State (PBANYS) to respectfully urge you to sign Senate Bill 8477/Assembly Bill 9325 into law which will provide PBANYS members with the same 20-year retirement option that almost 100% of New York’s state and municipal police officers already receive.

This legislation strengthens our public safety, is fiscally responsible, and has received almost near unanimous bi-partisan support in both houses.

The enactment of this law will not just help the hardworking women and men of the PBANYS with an equitable retirement benefit, it will also help save taxpayers millions in losses due to these officers leaving state service and the careers they love for agencies – including municipal police departments – with a 20-year retirement option.

The women and men of the PBANYS are committed to ensuring that New York residents and visitors alike enjoy safe communities and safe havens in which their children learn, a healthy environment, and all the amazing cultural and educational resources that make New York the Empire State. These officers want nothing more than to remain in their current assignments however, this has become more and more difficult when weighing it against their ability to provide their families with financial security and a longer and healthier life, which has been scientifically tied to retiring after 20 years of service as opposed to 25.  Literally, almost every police officer in New York State has such benefits and that security.

At a time when inflation and a weakening economy leave many families less financially secure and their futures uncertain, you can provide peace of mind and a more prosperous future for our officers and their families by signing this life changing legislation.

The ranks of PBANYS are filled with highly trained officers who specialize in community policing – the equitable and inclusive policing that you and legislative leaders have called for. They safeguard our state lands, public higher educational institutions, and state parks and historical centers. They vigilantly guard our environment, public health, endangered species, and campuses – and when crisis strikes such as the pandemic or natural disasters, they selflessly put themselves, without question, in harm’s way.

Sadly, too many of these brave women and men are leaving service as Forest Rangers, Park Police, Environmental Conservation and University Police Officers for careers with agencies that offer better pay and a 20-year retirement plan. New York State taxpayers are the ones that suffer when centuries of experience and tens of millions of dollars in specialized training walk out the door for another agency.

New York State Park Police are operating at 50% of authorized level, and DEC Environmental Conservation Officers are 65 officers below full strength – both a direct result of an inequitable retirement benefit. Already stretched thin across the state, the greatest shortage of Environmental Conservation Officers is in New York City - ground zero for environmental justice and a hotspot for the illicit animal trade, illegal dumping, and vehicle idling that leads to a high incidence of respiratory ailments among economically vulnerable groups.

Neighboring municipal police agencies routinely poach University Police Officers – particularly diverse officers – leaving our multicultural campuses served by largely homogenous police departments that don’t accurately represent the student bodies they serve. Efforts to recruit and retain diverse University Police Officers – which the PBANYS has fully and enthusiastically supported – are undermined by non-competitive pay and benefits, chief among them the retirement disparity.

We, the undersigned, again respectfully urge you to show the state’s support for the service, sacrifice and efforts to provide the highest level of community policing by the members of the Police Benevolent Association of New York State by enacting S.8477/A.9325 into law this holiday season so that the agencies who employ police represented by PBANYS can recruit and retain the best, brightest, most capable, and diverse officers.

Sincerely,

The Members, Families, and Supporters of PBANYS