New York state court officers endorsed Republican Bruce Blakeman for governor Wednesday, marking the first time in at least two decades that the unions have supported a candidate for the state’s highest office.
The Supreme Court Officers and Court Officers associations said they were backing the Nassau County executive because “he has made public safety a central part of his public service.” The unions also accused Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York’s Democratic leaders of allowing their ranks to shrink and leaving officers vulnerable on the job.
“This election is about more than politics, it’s about public safety, respect for the rule of law,” Patrick Cullen, president of the New York State Supreme Court Officers Association, said at a news conference outside Manhattan Criminal Court.
“Bruce Blakeman has made public safety a central part of his public service,” Cullen said. “His record as Nassau County executive and his emphasis on supporting law enforcement reflects the priorities that court officers want to see taken seriously at the state level.”
Sgt. Thomas Hickey, who leads the state Court Officers Association, said the union had reviewed endorsements from “20-something years” ago but could not recall publicly supporting a gubernatorial candidate.
“And one of us, no matter how far we went back, can remember endorsing a Republican,” he said.
Union leaders said the number of court officers has declined under Hochul and the state’s Democratic leadership. They also pointed to aging courthouse security equipment and what they described as more violent offenders moving through courthouses because of lax bail reform laws that have created a revolving door in the justice system.
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“They see that the people coming in don’t have any regard for law and order inside the courthouse,” Hickey said. “They realize there is no consequences for being disruptive so they come back and commit crimes again and again inside the courthouse.”
Hickey said metal detectors at courthouse entrances are outdated and can be bypassed too easily.
“These people are bringing in 4D weapons that are not picked up by magnetometers,” he said. “So, what you have is a situation where there’s less court officers because we’re short staffed, and there are guys coming in with a knife that they can’t detect.”
Blakeman, who trails Hochul in the polls with the election just two weeks away, has made public safety a central theme of his campaign. He has repeatedly criticized Democrats in Albany and New York City, accusing them of underfunding police departments, allowing violent offenders to remain free under lax bail laws and failing to support law enforcement.
“Kathy Hochul, her priority is are all upside down,” Blakeman told reporters. “After this year we will have spent $10 billion on illegal migrants who just claim asylum. They get free food, free housing, free transportation, free cell phone and free health care.”
“That’s money that I would be spending on law enforcement, on our court system, on infrastructure, on our schools, are on our hospitals,” he said. “Cutting taxes and cutting utility bills.”
The two unions represent about 4,000 active and retired members combined. Their officers patrol courthouses and maintain order in courtrooms across New York state.
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