ALBANY, NY (Erie News Now)--AN ‘END TO OPEN SEASON ON POLICE OFFICERS’ IS THE CALL OF THE NEW YORK STATE SHERIFFS' ASSOCIATION. 

SHERIFFS FROM ACROSS THE STATE GATHERED IN THE NEW YORK STATE CAPITOL TO CALL ON LAWMAKERS TO TAKE ACTION BY MAKING CHANGES SUCH AS REVISITING THE STATE’S BAIL LAWS AND THE AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY.  

“More reforms need to be made to bail reform. I mean it all boils back to this, there is no sense of accountability from our perspective with people that we deal with anymore,” said Craig DuMond, president of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association.

THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL CHANGES TO THE BAIL LAWS IN NEW YORK IN RECENT YEARS--THE MOST RECENT MADE DURING LAST year's BUDGET PROCESS.  

THE CHANGE ELIMINATED THE ‘LEAST RESTRICTIVE MEANS’ STANDARD WHICH ALLOWS JUDGES MORE DISCRETION WHEN CONSIDERING BAIL IN SERIOUS CRIMINAL CASES.

SOME ADVOCATES WITH THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY AAlternatives WORRY SOME LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS COULD BE USING FEAR TACTICS. 

“The legitimate safety concerns that the law enforcement has, it needs to be grounded on factual evidence and constructive dialogue,” said Ismael Diaz, community organizer with the Center for Community Alternatives.

OTHER ADVOCATES SAid THERE IS A PERCEPTION OF INCREASED CRIME THAT OFTEN OPPOSES STATISTICAL DATA.  

“There’s kind of this perception that there’s been his huge spike in crime, that there’s been more violence, that there’s been more violence towards police officers, but I do think a lot of that is based more on perception and isn't statistically bearing out particularly if you look at decades and decades of data,” said Lauren Bonds, Executive Director for the National Police Accountability Project.

MANY SHERIFFS SAid THEY ALSO WORRY ABOUT THE LEVEL OF RESOUrCE SUPPORT FROM THE STATE—SAYING SOME PROPOSALS IN THE BUDGET SUCH AS CREATING NEW TASK FORCES TO TACKLE RETAIL CRIMES, DIDN'T GO FAR ENOUGH.

"What's the point of putting all these people at risk such as we did the Genesee sheriff sergeant, when the person when he's going to get injured to the fact that he's still in the hospital with two brain bleeds and the person is released on appearance tickets," said DuMond.