New York Senate Bill S08324

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 6/2/25
• Refer: 6/2/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Grants security officers serving at the village of Ardsley village court peace officer status; provides that such officers shall complete training if they are not otherwise police officers or peace officers.

Summary

This bill amends the New York Criminal Procedure Law to add employees of the Village of Ardsley village court who serve as security officers to the list of peace officers. The designation is limited: these officers would have only the specific powers referenced in paragraphs (b), (h), and (i) of Criminal Procedure Law section 2.20, rather than the full range of peace officer authority. The bill also makes clear that the new status does not authorize these security officers to carry, possess, repair, or dispose of a firearm unless they have the proper license under Penal Law section 400.00. If a security officer is not already a police officer or peace officer under existing law, the bill requires completion of the training mandated by Criminal Procedure Law section 2.30. The act would take effect immediately.

Impact

The bill would modify Criminal Procedure Law section 2.10 by creating a narrow, local peace officer classification for Ardsley village court security officers. This would affect the legal authority, training obligations, and potentially the operational responsibilities of those court security employees, while leaving firearm licensing rules unchanged and explicitly intact. Because the change is specific to one village court, the broader state criminal justice framework would be altered only in a limited, locality-specific way.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes are available, so there is no documented debate or formal voting record to indicate support or opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears administrative and targeted, suggesting a generally practical purpose rather than a controversial policy change. The absence of recorded opposition or amendments in the provided materials means sentiment cannot be measured beyond the bill’s narrow, procedural framing.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are the grant of peace officer status to a local court security role and the scope of authority that comes with that designation. Any concern would likely focus on whether court security personnel should receive peace officer powers at all, whether the limited powers are sufficient, and whether the training requirement is adequate for the responsibilities involved. Another possible issue is the local nature of the bill, since it creates a special rule for the Village of Ardsley rather than a statewide standard.