ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) – Some Tompkins County probation officers will be armed in the future.

A resolution to arm officers working on the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) detail came before county lawmakers again last week. The GIVE detail is a grant program dealing with people with a history of gun violence. The Probation Department raised safety issues for its employees last summer, citing the dangers of walking into unknown situations without any way to defend themselves.

The Tompkins County Public Safety Committee, chaired by Legislator Rich John, asked the Probation Department to gather community input before submitting a formal policy for consideration. John called the new policy much improved.

John added the counties in New York State that have received GIVE grants are “almost uniformly making sure” their officers are armed.

Some legislators were hesitant to vote yes on the policy without changing language in the resolution to include a direction for the Probation Department to pursue the use of body cameras, which would have to be a separate policy. Those changes were friendly, and the resolution to adopt the policy ultimately passed 12 to 2, with Legislators Shawna Black and Amanda Champion dissenting.

Probation Director Dan Cornell expressed thanks to the community members who helped formulate the policy, and county staff.

“A lot of impact was made through those conversations,” said Cornell. “It resulted in, I think, some really strong changes that meet the needs of the community. Obviously, this is a controversial topic, and I appreciate you moving the safety of my staff as a priority.”

Cornell added the policy will be sent to the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives (DCJSOPCA) for review and feedback. Any changes DCJSOPCA make would be brought back to the county for consideration. If that process goes smoothly, Cornell said it will still take some time to implement the policy.

“We’ve been very intentional with the development of this policy,” said Cornell. “I think it’s a very unique policy in the State of New York; I don’t think you’ll find it anywhere else. And I think, through the process, we’ve made it very applicable, and hopefully, palatable to the community.”

You can watch the full February 4, 2025, meeting of the Tompkins County Legislature here.