ALBANY – New York State Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R, C-Staten Island/ Brooklyn) joined his colleagues in the Assembly Minority Conference on April 3 to demand Governor Kathy Hochul and her Democrat colleagues include public safety measures in the final state budget agreement. “The tragic loss of NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller, who was shot and killed in the line of duty by a career criminal, is a reminder of the consequences ‘pro-criminal’ policies have on law enforcement and all New Yorkers,” according to the Assemblyman’s news release.

Tannousis and his colleagues of the Assembly Minority Conference have long been supporters of law enforcement and have introduced several proposals to improve public safety in the aftermath of Bail Reform, Discovery Reform, Raise the Age and other Democrat-driven policies.

“The murder of NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller is an unthinkable reality that law enforcement faces every day,” said Tannousis. “The proposals my colleagues and I have introduced are important for the success of the criminal justice system to survive and most importantly- to keep our police officers and citizens safe. We have witnessed too many innocent lives taken from repeat criminals that should have never been on the street to begin with and it is time that our governor and state legislature clean the mess they created and include these bills in the final state budget agreement.”

Imposes Dangerous Standard – Eliminates the defendant’s return to court as the sole factor for a judge to consider when determining pre-trial release by directing the court to also consider the safety of any person or the community when selecting a securing order, requiring the court to make an individualized determination as to whether the principal poses a risk or threat of physical danger to the safety of any person or the community and an individualized determination as to whether they pose a risk of flight to avoid prosecution (To Be Introduced; Reilly, Jensen, Tannousis).

Mandatory LWOP – Makes life imprisonment without parole (LWOP) mandatory for defendants convicted of Murder in the First Degree or Second degree and the victim is a police officer, peace officer, first responder, or correctional officer (A.7472, Angelino/S. 408, Gallivan).

Reinstates the Death Penalty in New York State and make it an available sentence for those convicted of Murder in the First Degree for the intentional killing of police officers, specified peace officers, and first responders among others. Mandates LWOP for cop killers not sentenced to Death (A3906; Barclay).

Reinstates Death Penalty/Mandates LWOP – Provides that sentence for commission of Murder in the First Degree of a police officer, certain peace officers, first responder, corrections officer is death or life without parole, A.3481 (Destefano).

Strips the Governor of the power to grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons, after sentenced to LWOP or for the felony murder of police officers, first responders, peace officers, and corrections officers, A.4626 (McGowan).

Parole Reform – Requires a unanimous vote of at least three parole commissioners to grant a prisoner early release. Also allows a majority vote of the Legislature to remove a commissioner from the Parole Board (A.5225, Barclay/S.1412, Ortt).

Three Strikes You’re In – Authorizes the imposition of life imprisonment without parole for persistent violent felony offenders upon conviction of a violent felony offense when such person has previously been subjected to two or more predicate violent felony convictions, A.5557 (Brabenec, Angelino)/S.103 (Tedisco).

Makes All Gun Crimes Qualifying Offenses – Adds any misdemeanor and felony offense involving the possession, display, or discharge of a firearm, rifle, shotgun, machine gun or disguised gun to the list of ‘qualifying offenses’ that authorize a judge to fix bail or remand a defendant to the custody of the sheriff, (A.1503, Barclay).

Hate Crimes against First Responders – Designates offenses against law enforcement, emergency medical services personnel, and/or firefighters as hate crimes, thereby increasing the penalty for the offense (A.3417, DeStefano/S.6091).