Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (R,C-Medford) supported Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay, Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and fellow members of the Assembly and Senate Republican Conferences at a press conference today in West Capitol Park where they continued to call for stronger oversight of the state parole board. Since 2017, the parole board has released 41 convicted cop killers. Another cop killer, Mitchell Martin, who murdered NYPD Officer James Whittington in 1982, is scheduled for a parole hearing later this month.
“New York Democrats have gone too far in leniency towards criminals. When law enforcement is vilified and criminals are coddled, clearly something is wrong. Cop killers do not deserve our sympathy,” said DeStefano.
“In our communities in Suffolk County, we see this firsthand—Janell Funderburke’s recent guilty plea to attempted aggravated murder and robbery in the first degree underscores the urgent need for stronger oversight of the state parole board. We cannot afford to let convicted violent criminals like Funderburke continue to jeopardize public safety. While this case ended with Funderburke behind bars, it serves as a stark reminder of the ever-present threat posed by individuals with a blatant disregard for the law and the safety of our communities.”
“Instead of going deeper down this progressive rabbit hole, we need to get our state back to a place where law and order prevail, and that starts with changing the New York State Board of Parole,” DeStefano concluded.
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