Albany’s Betrayal of New York’s First Responders

A Column From the Desk of David DiPietro (R,C-East Aurora)

The safety and well-being of our correctional officers and first responders are under siege, not by external threats, but by the very policies emanating from Albany. The recent events at Collins Correctional Facility, where eleven correctional officers and one nurse were hospitalized, are a direct consequence of the reckless, pro-criminal agenda being pursued by Albany Democrats. This tragic incident is not an isolated one, but a grim reflection of the broader crisis engulfing our correctional system—a crisis fueled by negligent and ideologically driven policies.

The issue of first responder safety took a turn for the worse with the passage of the HALT Act, a misguided piece of legislation that has had catastrophic consequences for our correctional officers. By limiting the use of special housing units, the HALT Act has stripped COs of one of their most effective tools for maintaining order and safety within prisons. Special housing is not solitary confinement; it is a critical component of a system that encourages good behavior and deters violence. But Albany liberals, in their relentless pursuit of progressive culture wars, have chosen to ignore this reality, putting our COs at greater risk and undermining their ability to do their jobs effectively.

The ramifications of these policies are not just theoretical—they are brutally real. The HALT Act has emboldened dangerous inmates, leading to a surge in assaults on COs, and the morale among our brave correctional officers has plummeted as a result. The Democrats’ failure to include any meaningful support for COs in this year’s record-setting budget is a slap in the face to those who risk their lives every day to keep our communities safe. There were no retention incentives, no pension reforms, no efforts to address chronic understaffing—just more empty rhetoric from a political class more concerned with appeasing the radical left than safeguarding the men and women who serve on the front lines.

This dangerous trend is not confined to our correctional facilities. The same reckless approach can be seen in the Democrats’ disastrous bail reform policies, which have led to a surge in repeat offenders and a breakdown of public trust in our legal system. By allowing accused individuals of heinous crimes to walk free, Albany progressives have created a revolving door of justice, where criminals exploit legal loopholes to evade accountability. This is not justice; it is an abdication of responsibility, and it is putting every New Yorker at risk.

It is time for the governor and the Democrats in Albany to acknowledge the real-world consequences of their policies. The safety of our correctional officers, first responders and all New Yorkers is too important to be sacrificed on the altar of progressive ideology. We need to repeal the HALT Act, reform our bail laws and restore common sense to our criminal justice system before more lives are needlessly endangered. Our COs and first responders deserve better, and it is our duty to stand up for them against the dangerous overreach of Albany’s elite.

Assemblyman David DiPietro represents the 147th Assembly District, which includes parts of Erie and Wyoming counties.