The Police Benevolent Association of New York State is urging state leaders to approve a centralized policing policy for the State University of New York.

President James McCartney released a statement last week on the assassination of Charlie Kirk and used it to call for the centralization. SUNY Fredonia is one of 29 campuses covered by state university police.

“The PBA of New York State is saddened by the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University last week and commends our brother and sister law enforcement officers for their swift work in apprehending a suspect in the case. Incidents like the one in Utah force us to take a hard look at our own policies and procedures, to ensure we are ready for a streamlined mass response if something similar were to happen on a SUNY campus,” McCartney stated. “Equally critical is prevention: sharing resources, intelligence and training to collectively strengthen the defense of our most vulnerable campus communities.”

Portraying this as “a time of uncertainty, fear and heightened attention on campus safety,” McCartney wrote that “the PBA of New York State urges SUNY and the elected leaders of the state of New York to pass a common-sense SUNY centralization policy.”

McCartney said the policy “would standardize practices such as statewide leadership and hiring, computer-aided dispatch, digital evidence management, background checks, crime trend analysis and more. It would allow University Police departments across New York to more effectively share information in real-time on coordinated threats of violence, ‘swatting’ incidents, social media dares, sexual assault and harassment, suspect descriptions, and many other law enforcement matters – all of which now occur in a communications vacuum across the 29 University Police-protected campuses.”

A bill, S4707/A5887, to authorize the centralization is in committee for the 2025-2026 legislative session. “We urge Senators, Assembly members and Gov. Kathy Hochul to meaningfully consider and pass this bill in the upcoming legislative year,” McCartney said.

McCartney concluded, “The PBA of New York State reaffirms its confidence in the men and women of the New York State University Police. These sworn, fully commissioned police officers enforce all state laws within the confines of their assigned campus and analyze incoming information and potential threats every day. Together, hundreds of University Police officers protect tens of thousands of college and university students, staff, faculty and administrators, ensuring that free thought and the exchange of ideas remain protected on SUNY campuses across the state of New York.”