The state Senate and Assembly passed 10 police-reform bills this week.
Below are the votes cast by Republican Sue Serino (whose Senate district includes the Highlands), Democrat Sandy Galef (whose Assembly district includes Philipstown) and Democrat Jonathan Jacobson (whose Assembly district includes Beacon).
1. Access to disciplinary records
Legislators repealed a provision, known as 50-a, that kept confidential the disciplinary records of police officers, firefighters and correction officers.
Passed Senate 40-22 (Serino voted no)
Passed Assembly 101-43 (Galef and Jacobson voted yes)
2. Investigation of police killings
A new Office of Special Investigation in the Attorney General’s Office will investigate, and, if warranted, prosecute police-involved killings.
Passed Senate 45-17 (Serino voted yes)
Passed Assembly 97-47 (Galef and Jacobson voted yes)
3. Investigation of misconduct
A new Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office will study and make recommendations regarding the operations and policies of local police agencies.
Passed Senate 41-21 (Serino voted no)
Passed Assembly 100-44 (Galef and Jacobson voted yes)
4. Filming police activity
The law clarifies that someone who is not under arrest or in custody has the right to record police activity and to keep the recording.
Passed Senate 59-3 (Serino voted yes)
Passed Assembly 128-16 (Galef and Jacobson voted yes)
5. Chokehold ban
The Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act prohibits the use of chokeholds by law enforcement and establishes the crime of aggravated strangulation as a felony. Garner died in 2014 after being placed in a chokehold by an officer on Staten Island.
Passed Senate 62-0 (Serino voted yes)
Passed Assembly 139-5 (Galef and Jacobson voted yes)
6. Calling 911 for no good reason
This law establishes the right of a person to sue someone who calls the police on him or her because of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation when there is no reason to believe a crime has occurred and there is no imminent threat to a person or property.
Passed Senate 56-6 (Serino voted yes)
Passed Assembly 105-39 (Galef and Jacobson voted yes)
7. Reporting gun discharges
This law requires local and state police officers to report within six hours when, whether on or off duty, they discharge their weapons where a person could have been struck.
Passed Senate 59-3 (Serino voted yes)
Passed Assembly 105-39 (Galef and Jacobson voted yes)
8. Tracking low-level offenses
The Police Statistics and Transparency (STAT) Act will require courts to compile and publish racial and other demographic data of all low-level offenses and for police departments to submit annual reports on arrest-related deaths.
Passed Senate 60-2 (Serino voted yes)
Passed Assembly 100-44 (Galef and Jacobson voted yes)
9. Affirming right to health care while in custody
This law will add a section to Civil Rights Law to affirm a person’s right to medical and mental health care while under arrest.
Passed Senate 60-2 (Serino voted yes)
Passed Assembly 109-35 (Galef and Jacobson voted yes)
10. Requiring state police to wear body cams
This law will require state troopers to wear body cameras that must be activated whenever an officer has an interaction with anyone stopped on suspicion of a crime or a traffic violation.
Passed Senate 61-1 (Serino voted yes)
Passed Assembly 142-2 (Galef and Jacobson voted yes)
