Police and firefighters with 20 years of service time would have a deferred retirement option under a measure proposed by New York state Democratic Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara as part of an effort to aid with recruitment and retention of depleted forces in parts of New York. 

The measure is meant to alleviate personnel shortages when senior officers or firefighters retire and can make it difficult to train new recruits. The option as proposed by Santabarbara would allow firefighters and police defer pension payments and continue to be employed. 

“Across the state, retirement and separation from service has caused increased workloads for our police officers and firefighters,” said Santabarbara. “This bill will establish an incentive for talented and experienced police and fire personnel to remain in service while allowing them to defer their pension payments while they continue their employment. Our police and fire departments are vital to the community, and I’ll continue fighting to ensure they have the resources they need to properly train the next generation of first responders.”

The proposal was backed by Schenectady Police Chief Eric Clifford, who said it could help departments plan more easily when it comes to personnel and training.

“Police retention and recruitment is currently a challenge. Police Officers are retiring at a rate faster than they can be replaced.  The current New York pension system is not sufficient to retain officers from exploring other options upon reaching the 20 year pension eligible status,” Clifford said.  “This bill, if enacted, will enable municipalities to retain experienced officers, properly plan for their retirement, and save pension payments in the future."