Senate Bill S7596

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7596

SPONSOR: MURRAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the penal law, in relation to establishing the offense
of obstructing a police officer

 
PURPOSE:

Makes it a felony to intentionally interfere with or inhibit a police
officer or peace officer from engaging in the course of performing their
official duties.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section One: Adds a new Section 195.09 to the Penal Law to create the
class E felony crime of Obstructing a Police Officer when a person
intentionally interferes with, inhibits, or attempts to interfere with
or inhibit a police officer or a peace officer from engaging in the
course of performing their official duties, including but not limited
to:
              

1. spitting, throwing or spilling items; or liquid or otherwise, at or
on such officer; or

2. pushing, shoving, kicking, physically impeding or otherwise subject-
ing such officer to physical contact.

Section Two: Effective Date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Police officers are society's front line of defense against crime and
civil disorder. As such, they put their own health and lives at risk on
a daily basis, often with little appreciation from those they protect.

For the most part this goes with the job, but recently a disturbing
trend has emerged where it has become increasingly common for some
nefarious individuals to harass and harm police officers on duty,
including throwing items and buckets of water at these officers, and
pushing, shoving kicking and impeding officers who simply are trying to
do their jobs.

Whether from a misguided sense of political grievance or simply a spite-
ful desire to create unpleasant conditions for the police, these harmful
actions are inexcusable.

Police officers are placed at risk from these actions that go beyond
mere distractions from their duties to actually compromising the safety
of the officer and the public.

These criminal actions impair officers' ability to perform their basic
duties. Perpetrators of these crimes currently may only receive a mere
slap on the wrist. Greater criminal consequences are necessary to deter
such actions.

These types of acts serve no legitimate purpose, and most certainly do
not deserve any of the protections afforded to free speech or political
statements. Such acts against the police endanger both the police and
the community at large; as such, they have no place in civil society.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law.