BILL NUMBER:A10199
TITLE OF BILL: An act creating a state commission to investigate
patterns and practices of unlawful or inappropriate conduct on the part
of members of the New York state police; and providing for the repeal of
such provisions upon expiration thereof
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: The purpose of this bill is to create
and empower a temporary commission to conduct a comprehensive investi-
gation of misconduct, abuse of power and political interference with
respect to the state police and report to the legislature on structural
changes that can be made to reform the institution.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: The Commission shall consist of nine
members to be appointed as follows: Five members, including the chair,
shall be appointed by the chief judge of the New York state court of
appeals; one member each shall be appointed by the temporary president
of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the
senate and the minority leader of the assembly. The members of the
commission shall be either former judges or distinguished professionals
with significant law enforcement experience. Substantial consideration
shall be given to individuals who are experienced former members of the
state police.
The Commission may request and shall receive from any court in the state
and from any subdivision, department, board, bureau, commission, office,
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
S. 7085 A. 10199
S E N A T E - A S S E M B L Y
March 11, 2010
___________
IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. ADAMS -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. JEFFRIES, TITONE, PEOPLES-STOKES,
LANCMAN, CAMARA, ESPAILLAT, BENJAMIN, FIELDS, POWELL, McDONOUGH,
GIBSON, N. RIVERA, LIFTON -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CRESPO,
GALEF -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Oper-
ations
AN ACT creating a state commission to investigate patterns and practices
of unlawful or inappropriate conduct on the part of members of the New
York state police; and providing for the repeal of such provisions
upon expiration thereof
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The legislature hereby finds and declares as follows:
The legislation is necessitated by a troubling pattern and practice
throughout at least three different gubernatorial administrations of
inappropriate and possibly unlawful behavior by elements within the
state police, largely emanating from the Executive Services Detail. Most
recently, this behavior took the form of possible intimidation of a
female victim involved in a domestic violence dispute with a high rank-
ing member of the Paterson administration. While this specific incident
is being investigated, under the administrations of the two previous
governors, there were several documented instances where state troopers
were also subject to improper political influence and used in ways that
undermine the very fabric of our democracy.
By way of example, in 2007, a scandal erupted involving former Gover-
nor Eliot Spitzer's use of state troopers to monitor and gather travel
information about former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno for
purposes of trying to discredit a political adversary. Under the Pataki
administration, the state police were found to have electronically
cleansed a domestic dispute complaint involving a political ally and
former Congressmember John Sweeney, in order to shield him from public
scrutiny and embarrassment. These are just two of several occurrences
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
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