Rochester Police and the Monroe County Sheriff’s office are directing officers not to make an arrest under the county’s new anti-first-responder harassment law until it passes a judicial review. Most suburban police departments except for Greece are saying the same. County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo signed the new law this week saying she wanted to support first responders.
Rochester Police Chief La’Ron Singletary is telling his officers not to enforce the new law — at least for now. He says in a memo to his officers he was advised by the city’s lawyers to hold off until the courts can rule on the legality of the law. And he says in the memo that the officers can still make arrests under existing laws when violent or criminal behavior is directed at them.
In a similar letter, Sheriff Todd Baxter said there are existing laws to accomplish the same goal, as when members of the Rush Fire Department and Ambulance were attacked earlier this year by two people they were trying to help. Baxter says his decision can be revisited if the new law is validated by judicial review.
