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New York State court officers endorsed Republican Bruce Blakeman for governor on Wednesday, a rare move that marks the first time in at least 20 years the unions have backed a candidate for the office.
The Supreme Court Officers and Court Officers associations said the Nassau County executive gets the nod because “he has made public safety a central part of his public service” — and said Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Democrats have left their ranks depleted and put them in harm’s way 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 press 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 heads the state Court Officers Association, said the union “went back 20 something years, and none of us can remember openly, publicly endorsing a candidate for governor.
“And one of us, no matter how far we went back, can remember endorsing a Republican.”
The union chiefs said their ranks have thinned out under Hochul and the state’s Democratic leadership, with courthouse equipment outdated and more violent offenders walking the halls due to lax bail reform laws that have created a revolving door of justice.
“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.”
He said metal detectors at courthouse entrances are outdated and can too easily be bypassed.
“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 just two weeks before the elections, has harped on public safety throughout his campaign. He’s repeatedly slammed Democrats in Albany and in New York City for underfunding cops, allowing violent criminals to walk because of lax bail laws, and not backing 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 railed. “Cutting taxes and cutting utility bills.”
The two unions represent about 4,000 active and retired members between them. The officers patrol and keep the peace in courtrooms throughout the state.