The largest independent law enforcement and public safety union in New York is backing the Republican candidate for the state's top elected office. This week, the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) announced that it has overwhelmingly endorsed Bruce Blakeman in its first-ever endorsement vote for a gubernatorial candidate. Of the 1,478 union members who voted, 95% chose to endorse Blakeman in what NYSCOPBA calls a "resounding message."
NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers says, "This is about more than an endorsement. This is about the members of NYSCOPBA having a voice and using it. For the first time in our organization's history, we took this decision directly to our statewide membership. We didn't make this decision behind closed doors. We didn't make it in a small room with a handful of people. We put it in the hands of the men and women who work inside New York's correctional facilities every single day -- and they spoke loud and clear."
Summers adds, "The people who work in our prisons know what is happening inside those facilities better than anyone. They see the staffing shortages. They work the mandatory overtime. They deal with the safety issues. They walk into dangerous situations every day and are expected to keep order and protect both staff and incarcerated individuals. Their voices deserve to be heard when decisions are made about the future of corrections in New York."
Photo by the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association
