Proposed bills would help protect social workers across New York state
New technology and a change to New York state law could help protect social workers who visit clients in the field.
The proposals come one year after the tragic death of a child protective services worker in Westchester County. Maria Coto was brutally beaten after mistakenly knocking on the door of the wrong home in Peekskill. She died from her injuries five weeks later.
Hasseem Jenkins is charged with murder in connection to her death and has pleaded not guilty.
"New York state has the opportunity to be a leader on this issue"
Sen. Peter Harckham and Assemblymember Dana Levenberg are pushing Albany to take action.
"It is one of the 20 most dangerous jobs in America," Harckham said.
Their bills would increase penalties for attacking CPS workers doing their jobs and mandate counties provide portable panic alarms to social workers who visit clients in the field.
"Equipping social workers with panic buttons will give them another quicker way of getting help in case it's needed," Levenberg said.
Union members say they will lobby lawmakers to pass the bills before the legislative session ends in June.
"Safety is a concern everywhere. New York state has the opportunity to be a leader on this issue," said Hattie Adams, Department of Social Services union president.
Christine Leoce, who worked with Coto, was among the colleagues and lawmakers who gathered Friday to advocate for change.
"I still remember the police officer's voice and his chilling words when I asked if Maria was gonna be OK, and he said to me, 'I'm sorry, it's really not good,'" Leoce said.
Westchester County doesn't need a mandate from the state to go ahead and buy the portable panic alarms, and we've learned the county has been studying the technology and soon will announce a plan to provide them to DSS staff.
