Probation officers are the only women-majority group in law enforcement in this state, but if they get hurt doing their jobs, neither men or women officers have the opportunity to get disability benefits from their home county.

Legislation changing this was adopted by both houses of the state legislature earlier this year, but Gov. Kathy Hochul, up for re-election this year and seemingly unwilling to rock any boats, hasn’t signed it yet. Last week, one of the bill’s sponsors, state Sen. Michelle Hinchey (D-Saugerties) gathered with CSEA members to call on Hochul to let the bill become law.

“Probation officers are members of law enforcement whose work puts them in harm’s way on a regular basis to keep our communities safe, and they deserve access to the same injury protections as any other branch of law enforcement,” Hinchey said at a press conference Sept. 1 at at the CSEA office in Kingston. “Probation officers perform high-risk law enforcement duties every day, yet they are denied the line-of-duty injury protections granted to other peace officers. Extending 207-c disability coverage to probation officers is a matter of fairness, safety, and basic workplace dignity. When these public servants are injured protecting our communities, they should never suffer financial hardship just to receive proper medical care and support.”

According to Hinchey, probation officers face the same risks as police and peace officers – they carry out arrests, conduct home visits and manage high-risk offenders, facing the possibility of bodily injury. Unlike their law enforcement counterparts, however, these officers are not eligible under current law to receive comparable disability coverage when injured on the job. The bill will help close that gap by allowing county employers and labor representatives statewide the flexibility to negotiate these benefits through the collective bargaining process.

“Probation officers perform high-risk law enforcement duties every day, yet they are denied the line-of-duty injury protections granted to other peace officers,” said CSEA Local 1000 President Mary E. Sullivan. “Extending 207-c disability coverage to probation officers is a matter of fairness, safety, and basic workplace dignity. When these public servants are injured protecting our communities, they should never suffer financial hardship just to receive proper medical care and support.”

The senator said the bill has drawn broad support beyond CSEA, including the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) and the Dutchess, Erie, Ulster and Orange County legislatures, all of which have passed local resolutions urging its adoption.