Senator Pam Helming, along with members of the New York State Senate Republican Conference, gathered with Suffolk County officials and community leaders to advocate for the passage of S.2282A, known as the PROTECT Act (Pretrial Risk Overview for Threat Evaluation Custody and Treatment). The bill is sponsored by Senator Helming and was developed with input from law enforcement and faith leaders.
The legislation would require judges to use a standardized risk assessment tool when deciding if certain offenders should be held before trial or released. Supporters argue that this measure is necessary to address concerns about repeat offenders being released while awaiting trial.
Senator Helming and other Republican senators have been traveling across New York, meeting with local law enforcement to emphasize the importance of passing the PROTECT Act in the upcoming legislative session.
NYS Senator Dean Murray said, “It is imperative that a system be put in place to determine if those who have been arrested are a danger to society so they aren’t simply released back out on the streets to do more harm while they await trial.”
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, District Attorney Ray Tierney, Clerk Vincent Puleo, and other local officials joined in support of the proposed legislation at the event.
