Parole Officers Demonstrate at Parolee's Bronx Arraignment

BRONX, NY (11/02/2011)(readMedia)-- Many state parole officers used their personal leave to turn out in force today at the arraignment of parolee Jonathan Lee in Bronx Supreme Court. Lee was arraigned on charges he injured and attempted to murder several state parole officers September 2 when they were attempting to arrest him for parole violations. Three officers were injured in the incident.

"Protecting the public's safety is the most important thing we do as state parole officers," said parole officer V. Antonio Perez.

"We put our safety on the line to protect you, the public, so it's important to make sure we have the resources we need to keep you safe and for us to be as safe as possible on the job."

Perez is a steward of Division 236 of the NYS Public Employees Federation, the union that represents approximately 900 state parole officers and other parole-related employees. Perez said he and the other officers attending the arraignment want to draw the public's attention to the dangers and complex responsibilities and challenges they face on the job every day, and to the possible layoff of officers November 4.

"We are the public's best investment. In supervising these convicted felons when they are released on parole, we do it all: enforcing the law, criminal investigation, social work, mentoring, and transporting prisoners. No one gives the taxpayers more professional services for their dollar than we do," Perez said.

"We need more, not fewer, officers and resources to do this job right," Perez said. "Right here in the city, less than two years ago, an officer was shot in his office, in another incident, a parole officer was taken hostage at knife point in the parole office. This is dangerous work and it's no time to be cutting our staff or raising our caseloads."

Perez said the officers also want to send a strong message to present and future parolees that "we are united and we will not tolerate assaults on parole officers. Any attacks on us or other law-enforcement officers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

The NYS Public Employees Federation (PEF), is New York second-largest state-employee union. For more information, contact PEF spokesperson Sherry Halbrook on her cell at 518 396-8201.