October 12, 2020
Elmira, N.Y., October 12—The Detectives’ Endowment Association (DEA), the labor union of nearly 20,000 active and retired New York City Police Department Detectives, has endorsed the re-election of State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I-Big Flats) in the 58th Senate District.
In a letter informing O’Mara of the endorsement, DEA President Paul DiGiacomo highlighted O’Mara’s past experience as a prosecutor as the former Chemung County District Attorney and as a former Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan.
DiGiacomo wrote, “We will be counting on you…in this era of attack against the police. In addition, we have a long fight ahead to ensure that the hardworking men and women of America’s municipal and State labor forces are not unfairly targeted as the scapegoats for any economic woes.”
O’Mara, who has long been noted for his strong support for law enforcement, welcomed the detectives’ support.
O’Mara said, “I am proud of every vote of confidence I receive from the men and women in blue across this region, state, and nation. It is critically important at this time of troubling violence against law enforcement officers and a proliferation of anti-police rhetoric, that all of us who back the blue deliver a strong message of confidence and support. We can approve as many laws as we want, but without the daily courage and dedication of the police officers on the street it doesn’t mean a thing. The men and women of our local police departments stand as the first line of defense protecting our streets and neighborhoods. It is personally gratifying whenever any of these officers express their belief in my understanding of the demands they and their families face, my commitment to their safety and well-being, and my strong support for providing the resources and laws necessary to allow them to do their jobs effectively.”
The 58th Senate District, which O’Mara has represented since 2011, is comprised of all of Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Yates counties, and a portion of Tompkins County (the city and town of Ithaca, and the towns of Enfield, Newfield and Ulysses).
Throughout his tenure in the Senate, O’Mara has stood out as one of the Legislature’s most steadfast advocates of police officers, correctional officers, firefighters, first responders and the entire public safety and security community.
Over the past year, he has strongly opposed and warned against the dangers of the extreme bail reform law enacted by Governor Andrew Cuomo and a state Legislature under the one-party control of largely downstate, New York City-based Democrats.
He currently co-sponsors legislation known as the “Protect Those Who Protect Us Act,” a package of legislation aimed at deterring violence against law enforcement.
O’Mara has sponsored or co-sponsored numerous pieces of legislation to combat the proliferation of meth labs and meth-related criminal activity; to ensure that law officers and their families receive the benefits they have earned and deserve; and to secure the state funding necessary to provide law enforcement agencies and officers with the safety equipment, modern technology and other resources they need to carry out their jobs effectively.
In 2014, O’Mara was appointed to the Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction and since then has successfully worked with his colleagues at the state, local and federal levels — on a bipartisan basis — to achieve the enactment of numerous new laws and significantly increased state funding which have strengthened the state’s awareness, education, prevention, treatment and enforcement strategies.
Find out more about O’Mara’s campaign for re-election on http://www.omaraforsenate.com.
