Parole Officers Demonstrate at Parolee's Bronx Arraignment

BRONX, NY - Many state parole officers used their personal leave to turn out in force today at the arraignment of parolee Jonathan Lee in Bronx Supreme Court. Lee was arraigned on charges he injured and attempted to murder several state parole officers September 2 when they were attempting to arrest him for parole violations. Three officers were injured in the incident.

"Protecting the public's safety is the most important thing we do as state parole officers," said parole officer V. Antonio Perez.

"We put our safety on the line to protect you, the public, so it's important to make sure we have the resources we need to keep you safe and for us to be as safe as possible on the job."

Perez is a steward of Division 236 of the NYS Public Employees Federation, the union that represents approximately 900 state parole officers and other parole-related employees. Perez said he and the other officers attending the arraignment want to draw the public's attention to the dangers and complex responsibilities and challenges they face on the job every day, and to the possible layoff of officers November 4.

"We are the public's best investment. In supervising these convicted felons when they are released on parole, we do it all: enforcing the law, criminal investigation, social work, mentoring, and transporting prisoners. No one gives the taxpayers more professional services for their dollar than we do," Perez said.

"We need more, not fewer, officers and resources to do this job right," Perez said. "Right here in the city, less than two years ago, an officer was shot in his office, in another incident, a parole officer was taken hostage at knife point in the parole office. This is dangerous work and it's no time to be cutting our staff or raising our caseloads."

Perez said the officers also want to send a strong message to present and future parolees that "we are united and we will not tolerate assaults on parole officers. Any attacks on us or other law-enforcement officers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

PEF renews call for metal detectors after officer is shot

Albany - A member of the New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF) who works for the state Division of Parole was shot as he sat at his desk in his downtown Brooklyn office Thursday night. Parole Officer Samuel Salters suffered a gunshot wound to his shoulder and remains in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital Center. Salters was shot by a paroled murderer who eye witnesses said sat in the waiting room of the parole office until his name was called, then calmly approached Officer Salters and shot him.

The incident has renewed calls for metal detectors in parole offices, something PEF has been trying to negotiate with the state Divison of Parole (DOP) for several years.

"The DOP agreed to a pilot program in 2009 that would install two metal detectors in offices in New York City," said PEF President Kenneth Brynien. "That program has been stalled due to disagreement over how to staff the detectors. Our parole officers are being forced to choose between protecting their own safety and that of the public. Our officers are trying to deal with caseloads that have become unmanageably high. Pulling officers off caseloads to staff metal detectors puts public safety at risk."

"This comes down to appropriate staffing levels," said parole officer and PEF Council Leader Manuelita Clemente. “We recognize there is a hiring freeze due to the state’s fiscal crisis, but we are talking about life and death and the safety of our officers, visitors and parolees. The only deterrent at this time is a piece of paper on the wall that lists banned items including weapons," Clemente said.

In March 2009, another parolee brought a weapon into a parole office in Queens. That parolee was shot to death at the Queens DOP office after grabbing a parole officer and holding a knife to her throat.

"This latest incident should serve as a warning, the state can no longer hide behind the budget deficit as an excuse not to staff metal detectors in the state’s parole offices," Brynien added.