NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — There is good news about the New York State Park Police ranks, according to The Buffalo News. They will be hiring.
The Buffalo News reports that Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposed state budget has money for a new Park Police Academy class that will start this fall.
Back in 2019, former governor Andrew Cuomo signed a memo to freeze hiring in the New York State Park Police.
On Saturday, a group of lawmakers spoke out against that hiring freeze based on that memo. New York Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and Assemblyman Angelo Morinello held a news conference Saturday morning in Niagara Falls.
"My colleagues today are urging Governor Hochul to rescind that memorandum of 2019 rescind that memo. Allow park police to hire, allow transfers between different parts of the state, allow promotions," Ortt said.
According to Hochul, who spoke Saturday in Buffalo: "I already lifted the freeze as part of my budget, and we've been restoring people to their positions. I'm a firm believer in our state parks."
Hochul says she also disagreed with merging park police with New York State Police. She said they must be separate.