Police and those advocating police reform testified for more than four hours on Tuesday at a public hearing in Suffolk County’s state assembly on Tuesday that would prohibit discrimination and harassment against police officers.
Under the bill, first responders will have the same protection as those discriminated against on the basis of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status and veteran status. The bill would make it easier for police officers to bring harassment to court and allow the Suffolk Human Rights Commission to impose fines of up to $ 100,000.
In an emotional meeting, proponents of the bill said that the anti-police environment is harassing police officers. Opponents called the bill vague and would make the police “super citizens” who offer them more protection than anyone else.
The final vote is to be taken on the draft law in the coming month. Suffolk County’s executive director Steve Bellone has already signaled that he won’t sign it as a similar law in Nassau faced constitutional challenges.
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