09/09/2025
I am writing in response to an article that ran today in several news outlets titled, "‘No arrest’: In NY, some police can drink, drive and avoid charges." When reading articles like this, I often ask myself, what is the motive? Being a member of the New York State Police for almost 20 years and currently the President of the New York State Police Investigators Association (NYSPIA), I know that we the NYSP are often “policed” more than the public. By that I mean, we hold ourselves and our colleagues to a very high standard, and report and document incidents which are handled by our Professional Standard Bureau (PSB).
As the article states, there are thousands of disciplinary records within the NYSP. This is a result of our professionalism, standards, and accountability. The NYSP goes to great lengths to investigate all incidents and/or allegations made against its members. At times we have done this to a fault.
As a Law Enforcement Officer some of our greatest responsibilities are our integrity and use of discretion. The use of discretion many times depends on the severity of the incident and ability to show Probable Cause. This article questions our integrity and makes claims of mass cover ups. That assertion is completely false. Our members are human beings, and as such, they occasionally make the wrong decision in a situation. However, to claim that there is a systemic problem with Police Officers driving drunk and having their crimes covered up, is NEGLIGENT. We as Police Officers put our lives on the line upholding the law while serving the public. I would never condone anyone drinking and driving. That’s not what this is about. What this article fails to acknowledge are the extremely high standards and level of accountability that the NYSP holds its members to. It also doesn’t mention that in 2025, there are approximately 68,810 Police Officers in New Yor State with the NYSP making up about 5,000 members. The investigative reporters were able to identify at least 17 incidents over a 10-year period with the acknowledgment that there might be more. I can tell you that the NYSP holds its members to the highest standards. As Investigators with the NYSP we hold ourselves to the highest standards. As the article notes, all members were disciplined and held accountable for their actions.
As President of the NYSPIA, one of my responsibilities is overseeing the appropriateness and reasonableness of punishments for our members. We have rules and regulations set in place to govern our members. We use discretion and consider all circumstances when judging our members. What this article doesn’t show is the human toll these incidents have on our members. With these incidents and suspensions come a loss of income, loss of vacation days, ridicule, embarrassment, often a loss of rank, and loss of opportunities. But, most importantly this article leaves out the growth, perseverance, and professionalism of our members. How some have overcome these incidents and become role model members and have given back through EAP while helping other members in need and serving the public. In summary, we’re the NYSP, we’re not above the law, but we’re human.
Kurt Labuda
NYSPIA President
