Dear COBA Members;

Due to the work of COBA in coordination and cooperation with the County Exec's Office, County HR, Nassau Civil Service and the Police Dept, we are happy to say that 16 additional recruits will be sworn in this Friday, expanding the current recruit class to 26. We had hoped to get this class to 30 or more, but a few failed their agility tests, while a few others had unrelated delays in appointment.

This is only the beginning as we continue to address the staffing crisis that has plagued us in Corrections particularly since we lost almost 70 Officers in year 2020 and none were hired that year to replace them. This not only due to COVID but also due to Bail Reform and plain and simple mismanagement.

This class will be blended and put on extended tours to allow them to graduate a little sooner in the middle to end of June to help the staffing during the summer months.

We are working with those same County agencies to add another class immediately upon the graduation of this one, with another slated to be hired after that.

We are happy to see that we are getting much needed cooperation from the Blakeman Administration on this issue, particularly with regard to the processing of candidates for appointment. Cooperation that we did not get from the former Curran Administration.

A few months ago, COBA initiated bi-monthly interdepartmental conferences between all of the above mentioned County Units, holding all parties accountable for the ineffective way this Dept's deficiencies have been handled, with particular attention to staffing.

We will continue those bi-monthly meetings until staffing in all levels of this long neglected Dept are properly addressed. Security Staffing, Supervisory Staffing and Ancillary Unit staffing are abysmal and create an unsafe environment for our Members, the inmates and the surrounding community.

We will keep you updated on this and all issues affecting Nassau Correction Officers, as they progress.  
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Always In Unity;

Brian Sullivan, COBA President