The Untouchables: NY Senate passes bill making 'annoying' police a crime

The New York State Senate passed a bill that will make it a felony to harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm a police officer, or a peace officer.

If you live in New York and annoy a police officer, or a peace officer you will be guilty of aggravated harassment, which is a class E felony.

Published time: June 06, 2013 11:24
Edited time: June 06, 2013 14:07

The New York State Senate passed a controversial bill on Wednesday that aims to classify ‘aggravated harassment of a police officer’ as a crime, but will it give the authorities the green light for strong-arm tactics if passed?

Sponsored by Senator Joe Griffo, Bill S.2402 would make it a felony to “harass, annoy, or threaten a police officer while on duty.”

“Our system of laws is established to protect the foundations of our society,” Senator Griffo said. “Police officers who risk their lives every day in our cities and on our highways deserve every possible protection, and those who treat them with disrespect, harass them and create situations that can lead to injuries deserve to pay a price for their actions.”

Griffo said that New York police require extra safeguards because “too many people in our society have lost the respect they need to have for a police officer…. We need to make it very clear that when a police officer is performing his duty, every citizen needs to comply and that refusal to comply carries a penalty.”

The bill, which will now move to the State Assembly, would make it a crime for a person to make any type of physical action aimed at intimidating a police officer. Harassment of a police officer would be recognized as a Class E Felony, punishable by up to four years in prison.
...

rt.com...

This is really getting ridiculous, first of all what sort of proof will officers that use this law can present that someone has "annoyed them or harassed them"?...

We all know that although not all police officers are bad people there are quite a few that abuse their power, and with this law they have yet another way to abuse their power, and how can someone defend themselves against this type of felony since it will be your word against that of a police officer?...

This world is getting crazier by the minute and those in power keep thinking on new ways to restrict, and infringe upon our rights and individual freedoms.

I know and understand that some laws are needed, but this one, among others makes no sense at all and goes against the principles of the United States Constitution, and the right of every citizen to a fair trial.

This bill will make police officers and peace officers that have no backbone judge, jury, and executioner all in one.

What will cops do now, record what they say and do and their interactions with people all day long to have the proof that they were "annoyed or harassed"?...

Here is a link to the bill.
open.nysenate.gov...

How will anyone be able to defend themselves against the word of a police or peace officer?

BTW, yes it should be illegal to harm a police officer, but to "annoy"?

It's always been a crime to harass the police, this only makes a special law to charge them under. Most people who annoy the cops, especially when they are having donuts and coffee, get remembered and the next time they get seen doing something even remotely illegal they get a ticket or charged with something. Swearing in public is against the law as are any multitude of things charged under disturbing the peace laws. If anything, this will help to lessen the stress on the cops. They will be able to just throw the cuffs on people and haul them in if they start harassing them. A big fine later and the people will be happy that they aren't in jail for four years.

I grew up in a small town, some of my relatives were cops as were a few friends of ours. I would never intentionally harass a cop, why make their job hard. I wouldn't want to be harassed while doing my job.

I think that's already here.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Anyway, here is an excerpt of part of the bill.

...
Section 1. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 240.33 to
read as follows:

S 240.33 AGGRAVATED HARASSMENT OF A POLICE OFFICER OR PEACE OFFICER.
A PERSON IS GUILTY OF AGGRAVATED HARASSMENT OF A POLICE OFFICER OR
PEACE OFFICER WHEN, WITH THE INTENT TO HARASS, ANNOY, THREATEN OR ALARM
A PERSON WHOM HE OR SHE KNOWS OR REASONABLY SHOULD KNOW TO BE A POLICE
OFFICER OR PEACE OFFICER ENGAGED IN THE COURSE OF PERFORMING HIS OR HER
OFFICIAL DUTIES, HE OR SHE STRIKES, SHOVES, KICKS OR OTHERWISE SUBJECTS
SUCH PERSON TO PHYSICAL CONTACT.
AGGRAVATED HARASSMENT OF A POLICE OFFICER OR PEACE OFFICER IS A CLASS
E FELONY.
S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
...

open.nysenate.gov...

Notice how they mention "with the intent to harass, annoy..." So as long as the police, or peace officer thinks there was an "intent" to "annoy, harass, threaten or alarm" it would be considered a felony?

Although they later mention "if he or she strikes, shoves, kicks, or otherwise subjects such person to physical contact", but then again the "INTENT to annoy or harass" leaves an open door to abuse of power.

reply to post by rickymouse


I have cousins who are cops, and in fact I was in the process to become one alongside my then girlfriend some years back. She was working at night and was driving back home when she was stopped by a cop, yes she was speeding, but then the officer that stopped her ordered her to get out of the car and frisked her while sexually harassing her... When she came home to me she was still crying her heart out, it took me a while to get her to tell me what had happened, I tried to ask her on more than one occasion the name of the officer but she just wanted to let it go. Eventually she decided to become a teacher.

There are police officers, and peace officers that as it is they are already abusing their power, as I mentioned before, if anyone is trying to harm a police or peace officer, and it is not because you are trying to defend yourself from real abuse such as a police officer beating the crap out of you for no real reason, I can see why such person should be arrested and charged with a felony, but simply annoying, harassing, or threatening?... Heck, the simple fact of reminding a police officer that "civilians have rights" might, and do "annoy" and is seen as "harassment" by some cops...

I know there's an ongoing thread on this, but it's still a huge issue and maybe could have two threads. As I said on the other, this would curtail the use of filming police (very annoying to them) as they question or beat you, or your friends or neighbors. It will make it a felony to even talk back to them, or to swear at them (very annoying) as they beat your mum or shoot your dog. And if they plant stuff on you (how annoying!) and you say "Hey, dude, what are you doing?" - whoops, another charge leveled against you. This law seems ripe to become the key to a strict police state, and I really hope that Gov. Cuomo has no intention of signing it.

Originally posted by grey580
I think that's already here.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Please add further comments to the ongoing discussion in the above linked thread.
Thanks

**Thread Closed**