New York State Troopers PBA Reminds Citizens – ‘It Had Nothing to Do With NY SAFE Act Passage’

New York --(Ammoland.com)- The New York State Troopers PBA has released a statement expressing its hope that opponents of the SAFE gun control law will appreciate the fact that its members “did not write the terms of the bill nor vote on its passage”.

“The NY SAFE Act has been a controversial and emotional topic since its passage in January of 2013.

The NYS Troopers PBA, representing more than 6,000 active and retired members, has reserved public comment as we worked within the legislative process of NYS government with the hope of affecting changes to the law. Our membership holds widely shared concerns of this new law. Additionally, we believe that actual enforcement of these new regulations will significantly increase the hazards of an already dangerous job.

Polls have shown that increased firearm regulations are not popular in the more rural and upstate regions of our state, which is where the majority of our members live and patrol. Additionally, some in mainstream media have already irresponsibly increased the anti-police rhetoric, which fosters additional resentment of law enforcement. Even some of our elected officials, like Senator Ranzenhofer and Assemblyman Gabryszak, are calling for a probe of our members and their efforts to meet the standards of this new law.

It is the responsibility of this union to defend the reputation and safety of our members. Potential legislative changes as well as pending court decisions may further alter the terms of the SAFE Act. The individual members of this union did not write the terms of the bill nor vote on its passage. We urge the citizens of New York State to remember that Troopers are simply tasked with the lawful mandate to enforce the laws of the State, regardless of their personal opinion of such laws.”

The Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers, Inc. is dedicated to improving the terms and conditions of employment for our members.

Our membership consists exclusively of uniformed members of the New York State Police from the rank of Trooper through the rank of Major, both active and retired. The PBA advocates for the rights of its members and takes action in a variety of ways, and is the official voice of the membership. http://www.nystpba.org/Home.aspx