Nassau County Legislators Want To Create A Moving 15-Foot Halo For Its Officers
from the protected-class dept
Oh, so we’re still doing this, huh. Despite pretty much every effort of this type being rejected by courts as, shall we say, constitutionally-improbable, legislators continue to believe that cops should be protected from the people they serve by laws that allow them to violate the rights of the people they serve.
Here’s the latest effort. Fortunately, even if passed, its effect is limited to residents of Long Island, who are probably used to this sort of marginalization.
Nassau County lawmakers want to make it illegal to stand within 15 feet of cops and other emergency workers — but critics say the “buffer zone” would be unconstitutional.
Civilians who enter the “zone” for police, firefighters and other first responders during an emergency would be slapped with a misdemeanor and a $1,000 fine — with the possibility of up to a year behind bars, according to a new bill introduced by Republicans in the county Board of Legislators.
I appreciate this depth of reporting from the New York Post, the cop-friendliest publication in the city. It went so far as to note the bill was introduced by Republicans, which is helpful, if unnecessary. Of course it was introduced by Republicans. This is the sort of thing they do when they can’t get a book ban bill into committee.
It’s a hobby. It’s fun for hobbyists and annoying for everyone else. I may enjoy the sound of piercing guitar feedback in my music but I’m not asking for a minimum feedback-per-minute rate over government-funded airwaves. Nassau County Republicans may desire to free cops from the constant menace of being recorded while engaged in their public service efforts, but that’s the sort of kink that should stay within the walls of their domiciles, rather than splattered across the legislative docket like it’s actually a serious bit of lawmaking.
Supporters of the bill claim this will protect “emergency responders” from threats, harassment, and interference. And yet, supporters can’t explain why it’s always cops complaining about this sort of thing while their “emergency responder” brethren are always given the time, space, and opportunity to render their public services.
Three guesses and two of them wrong will lead you to the only conclusion: the cops like to work in the shadows where they can do they stuff they want to do without worrying about being caught doing it. The other responders actually just want to help people.
Besides, there’s already a law on the books that does what this law does — one that covers cops, even when they’re pretending to be “first responders.”
State law already punishes people who interfere with first responders with up to a year in jail, three years of probation, or a $1,000 fine.
So, despite the misuse of the phrase “emergency responder,” this bill is all about cops. It only wants cops to have a moving 15-foot halo in which to do their cop business, which generally isn’t being the first wave of emergency response. And because it’s a moving halo, all a cop has to do to generate a violation is move closer to the person they want to arrest for violating the law.
It’s a garbage proposal and hopefully it will die a quick death when offered up for a vote. But we know how politicians love cops, even when their love has been proven irrational time and time again. This is a special right just for law enforcement officers that’s had the usual “first responder” gloss applied to it. This sort of thing has rarely fooled courts. If it’s signed into law, there’s little chance this one will be the one that finally convinces a court cops should be considered more equal than others.
Filed Under: halo law, nassau county, nassau county police, police misconduct
Comments on “Nassau County Legislators Want To Create A Moving 15-Foot Halo For Its Officers”
So a cop walks down an apartment hallway. Is it now illegal to walk past them?
Re: better be safe
Probably want to make sure you are on the far side of your apartment when a cop walks through the hallway. Doubt they indicated that the “zone” stops at silly things like walls or doors.
Re:
Now you have to evacuate your apartment via the window if a cop is in the hallway.
What fragile little snowflakes
Every time I see a politician introduce one of these laws all I hear is ‘Our police are so unbelievably pathetic and unfit for their jobs that people looking at them from ‘too close’ is enough to render them incapable of doing said job’.
If cops are so laughably fragile that the existence of people near them makes them incapable of doing their jobs then maybe a job that requires close interactions with other people is not for them.
How would it work in practice?
If a cop comes over to talk to you, do you have to back away?
Do they ask their questions from 15′ away from you?
What happens if the emergency is in the apartment below yours?
I don’t see how injured people get treated by paramedics from 15′ away, but I guess in that case (or being rescued from a fire) maybe you’d just accept that breaking the law would be worth it.
Re:
Backing away? sounds like a dangerous runner, they better unload their service pistol into your back and head and the nearby crowded buildings, reload and empty it again.
Standing your ground? Sounds like a dangerous ground-stander, they better unload their service pistol into your back and head and the nearby crowded buildings, reload and empty it again.
Remember, the only job that police have is getting home safe so they are expected to summarily execute as many of the random populace as they can while paralyzed with bowel-clenching terror.
/s
I wonder what’d happen if when police approached someone the person started moving away from them to avoid violating the 15-foot “forbidden” zone? Depending on how the law is worded that could make for an interesting argument in court.
Speaking as a former volunteer first responder...
…who now trains first responders: during my entire tenure, across every incident I dealt with, the only people who ever got in my way were:
Cops.
And in each of those cases, they showed up after my team and I were already dealing with the situation, and tried to take it over. And then we had to argue with them, and explain that while we’re specialists with years of training, they are not, and so maybe, just maybe, they should STFU and let us get on with the process of saving lives.
Thankfully, none of these incidents went sideways as a result. But I know two people (in a different state) who were arrested while they were performing a rescue because the cops didn’t like being ignored.
So while I don’t really need a 15-foot halo, I might take one IF it applies to cops.
Which I’m sure it doesn’t and won’t, because of course not.
Re:
My immediate family has a combined 107 years of VFD Ambulance service. We all agree, the only people who get in the way are COPS.
Considering where so many officers are headed, halos won’t be needed.
I can see it now.
Stormy night, police chase.
The Police vehicle dont make the turn, and Slips off the Side into a Ditch full of water and the steering wheel against his chest.
How close do you want to get?
Geographical note about Long Island
Just so you know, there are four boroughs on Long Island: Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk. Kings county and Queens county are part of NYC and are the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, respectively. Nassau county is closest out of the non-boroughs in Long Island to the city limits, and outside of NYC, it’s the most populous county of Long Island (it’s also where Nassau Coliseum is and where the New York Islanders play). Suffolk County is the easternmost county of Long Island and is where the Hamptons and Montauk are.
So I technically live in Long Island since I live in Brooklyn, but it’s not what people think of when people hear “Long Island”; they think of Nassau County and Suffolk County.