Op-Ed: Protecting Those Who Protect Us

By Tom Sullivan

As the son of an NYPD officer, and the brother of a Secret Service agent, an NYPD officer, and a Port Authority inspector, this issue of protecting law enforcement is deeply personal to me.

Last week, I had the honor of standing with New York’s leading law enforcement associations and city lawmakers at a rally at City Hall to call on the state legislature to pass two critical pieces of legislation that will protect our police and other first responders.

The first piece of legislation (S.9974/A.10621B) would make it a crime to interfere with emergency responders, judges, and prosecutors by establishing a fifteen-foot safety buffer around them while they are carrying out their duties. In recent years, there has been a rise in incidents where individuals crowd emergency scenes or deliberately obstruct first responders, increasing the risk of injury and disrupting essential public safety operations. While individuals have the right to observe or record these situations, physically hindering responders from doing their jobs endangers everyone involved.

The second piece of legislation (S.9975/A.11118) would make it illegal to disclose the personal information of any active or former New York state, New York city or local municipal emergency first responder, judges or prosecutors. This practice, often referred to as “doxxing” allows individuals with ill intent to harass or assault our first responders or their families. By establishing clear legal protections, along with criminal penalties and civil remedies for violations, this legislation would both deter harmful behavior and provide meaningful support for victims.

Protecting law enforcement shouldn’t be a partisan exercise. Notably, both of these bills were introduced by Democrats (although one could argue they’re only introducing these bills because they have tough elections this November). Yet their path forward remains uncertain, not just because Democrats control the legislature, but because support within their conference is uneven when it comes to backing law enforcement.

That’s exactly why we need a new approach. Instead of treating public safety as a political dividing line, we should be building a pragmatic coalition, a common sense caucus made up of Republicans and pro–law enforcement Democrats, focused on advancing policies that protect both our communities and the men and women who serve them.

New Yorkers deserve a legislature that puts safety ahead of politics. I am committed to working across party lines to form that kind of coalition, one that can pass measures like these and move forward a broader agenda of practical, bipartisan solutions that strengthen public safety and protect those who protect us.