New York State Police Superintendent Steven James has come to the defense of his agency in the wake of arrests, firings, and internal investigations involving members of the ranks.
James issued a public statement calling public trust “sacred” and emphasizing that most troopers serve with professionalism and integrity.
The declaration came after several high-profile cases involving members of the agency in the past few months that included a state police investigator from Putnam Valley arrested for DWI in December following an alleged hit-and-run crash in Cortlandt.
A second trooper was also charged in connection with a series of hit-and-run accidents in Cortlandt in late September while a narcotics investigator from Poughkeepsie copped a guilty plea last month in federal court to lying to investigators after tipping off a suspected fentanyl trafficker about a covert drug probe — a case that resulted in his termination.
Troopers have also been investigated into whether members of the agency’s executive staff improperly used work credentials to gain access to the Ryder Cup on Long Island in late September.
James acknowledged that “no organization of our size is immune to lapses in judgment or conduct. When any member falls short of the standards we demand, we address it directly,” he said, adding, “We do not minimize misconduct, and we do not excuse it.”
James said that over the past 24 months, the agency has imposed personnel actions, including demotions and terminations, where conduct failed to meet expectations.
At the same time, James highlighted what he described as ongoing improvements within the department, including upgrades to investigative and analytical technology, expanded body-worn camera systems, and enhanced in-car technology. He also pointed to daily public safety work carried out by troopers across the state, from violent crime investigations and counterterrorism efforts to highway safety enforcement and disaster response.
“We respect and accept the role of a free press and watchdog journalism, but there is a tendency toward reporting that focuses on the dishonorable actions of a few, while the great majority of our members serve with the professionalism and integrity demanded by the job,” James added.
He ended the statement with a pledge to remain “steadfast” in protecting New Yorkers with “professionalism, integrity, and honor.”
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