Syracuse Police Benevolent Ass'n v. Young

156 Misc. 2d 513, 593 N.Y.S.2d 718, 1992 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 605
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 24, 1992
StatusPublished

This text of 156 Misc. 2d 513 (Syracuse Police Benevolent Ass'n v. Young) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Syracuse Police Benevolent Ass'n v. Young, 156 Misc. 2d 513, 593 N.Y.S.2d 718, 1992 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 605 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1992).

Opinion

[514]*514OPINION OF THE COURT

Bernard L. Reagan, J.

In a case of first impression, the court determines, inter alia, that General Municipal Law § 208-d does not completely preempt the right of a city police chief to promulgate internal rules and regulations relating to off-duty employment of police officers.

Plaintiff, Syracuse Police Benevolent Association, Inc. (hereinafter PBA), moves for summary relief against defendant, Thomas Young, as Mayor of the City of Syracuse, New York (hereinafter City). The PBA seeks judgment declaring null and void certain internal rules of the Syracuse Police Department relating to off-duty, secondary employment by City police officers.1 In this regard, the PBA contends that the challenged rules are overbroad and invalid as being beyond the authority of the City to enact due to the alleged preemptive effect of General Municipal Law § 208-d,2 which reads as follows:

"§ 208-d Extra work by members of a police force in cities
"Notwithstanding the provisions of any general, special or local law or any rule or regulation of any police department or commissioner or head thereof, any member of a police force of a city may engage in extra work for another employer outside his regular hours of duty for not exceeding twenty hours a week provided that such extra work does not interfere or conflict with his regular duties as a member of the force or his availability for emergency duty nor affect his physical condition to the extent that it impairs his ability to efficiently perform such duties and further provided that the type of employment shall first be approved by the appropriate police department or police commissioner.” (Added by L 1967, ch 812, § 1.)

Defendant City contends that the administrative rules were legally promulgated under the City Charter, article V, §5-1409 which authorizes the chief of police, with the Mayor’s approval, to enact and enforce "such reasonable rules, orders and regulations for the government, administration and disposition of the officers and members of the department of police [515]*515as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the department.” In this regard, the City contends that its local rules are designed to ensure compliance with the restrictions set forth in General Municipal Law § 208-d; that the statute does not prohibit the enactment of other restrictions; and that its local rules are consistent with the statutory right given to the chief of police to approve the type of off-duty employment of its police members.

A. General Municipal Law § 208-d Has Not Preempted Enactment Of All Municipal Regulations Concerning The Right Of Police Officers To Off-Duty Employment

(1) Preemption

In considering the PBA’s contention that General Municipal Law § 208-d has preempted any and all further local regulation of the right of police membership to off-duty employment, it is appropriate to first examine the preemption doctrine and then to consider the statute, its legislative history and the applicable regulations (see, Incorporated Vil. of Nyack v Daytop Vil., 78 NY2d 500, 505-508).

The Municipal Home Rule Law gives counties, cities, towns and villages the power to enact local laws in a wide range of matters relating to local concern, so long as that local legislation is not inconsistent with the State Constitution or with any general law of the State (see, NY Const, art IX, § 2 [c] [i]; Municipal Home Rule Law § 10 [1] [i]; Incorporated Vil. of Nyack v Daytop Vil, supra, at 505, and cases cited therein). The doctrine of preemption, however, represents a fundamental limitation upon the municipality’s home rule powers (see, Albany Area Bldrs. Assn. v Town of Guilderland, 74 NY2d 372, 377). If it is determined that the State has preempted an entire field or area of concern, a local law regulating the same subject matter is deemed inconsistent with the State’s overriding interest because it either: (1) prohibits conduct which the State law may consider acceptable, or at the least does not prohibit; or (2) it imposes additional restrictions on rights granted by State law (see, Jancyn Mfg. Corp. v County of Suffolk, 71 NY2d 91, 97).

Moreover, a local law may be ruled invalid as inconsistent with State law, not only where an express conflict exists between the statute and the local laws, but also where the State has clearly demonstrated its desire to preempt an entire field (Jancyn Mfg. Corp. v County of Suffolk, supra, at 97; see [516]*516also, Incorporated Vil. of Nyack v Daytop Vil., supra, at 505). The Legislature’s intent to preempt a field need not be expressly set forth in a statute, but may be inferred or implied from either a declaration of policy, or from a comprehensive or detailed regulatory scheme in a certain area (see, Matter of Ardizzone v Elliott, 75 NY2d 150, 155; Incorporated Vil. of Nyack v Daytop Vil., supra, at 505). The intent to preempt may also be implied from the nature of the subject matter being regulated and the purpose and scope of the State legislative scheme (see, Albany Area Bldrs. Assn. v Town of Guilderland, supra, at 377).

Finally, the mere fact that both the State law and the local law may touch upon the same general area is insufficient in and of itself to support a determination that the State has preempted the entire field of regulation in a given area (see, Jancyn Mfg. Corp. v County of Suffolk, supra, at 99). The test is not whether or not the local law prohibits conduct which is permitted by State law, but whether or not the State has acted upon a subject and in so acting, has evidenced a desire that its regulation should preempt the possibility of varying local regulations (see, Incorporated Vil. of Nyack v Daytop Vil., supra, at 505; People v Cook, 34 NY2d 100, 109).

(2) General Municipal Law § 208-d — Legislative History

General Municipal Law § 208-d (L 1967, ch 812) became effective on May 2, 1967. In his memorandum to the Legislature upon enactment of the bill, Governor Rockefeller, inter alia, stated:

"The bill establishes for the first time on a Statewide basis the right of policemen to engage in outside employment subject to appropriate safeguards designed to assure adequate protection to the public.
"Under the provisions of this bill any local police officer will be able to engage in outside employment provided his outside work does not exceed twenty hours per week, does not conflict with his regular duties or his availability for emergencies, does not affect his physical condition and is a type of employment approved by the local police commissioner or police chief. At the present time, there is no State law establishing standards governing the outside employment of members of local police forces. * * *
"I am confident that the provisions of this bill can be successfully implemented to assure policemen the same oppor[517]*517tunities for outside employment now afforded most other public employees, while fully protecting the general public, which depends so greatly on the dedicated members of our local police forces for the safety.” (Governor’s Mem approving L 1967, ch 812; 1967 NY Legis Ann, at 300.)

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Related

People v. Cook
312 N.E.2d 452 (New York Court of Appeals, 1974)
Price v. Price
503 N.E.2d 684 (New York Court of Appeals, 1986)
Jancyn Manufacturing Corp. v. County of Suffolk
518 N.E.2d 903 (New York Court of Appeals, 1987)
Albany Area Builders Ass'n v. Town of Guilderland
546 N.E.2d 920 (New York Court of Appeals, 1989)
Ardizzone v. Elliott
550 N.E.2d 906 (New York Court of Appeals, 1989)
New York State Ass'n of Counties v. Axelrod
577 N.E.2d 16 (New York Court of Appeals, 1991)
Incorporated Village of Nyack v. Daytop Village, Inc.
583 N.E.2d 928 (New York Court of Appeals, 1991)
Onondaga Landfill Systems, Inc. v. Flacke
81 A.D.2d 1022 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1981)

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156 Misc. 2d 513, 593 N.Y.S.2d 718, 1992 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 605, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/syracuse-police-benevolent-assn-v-young-nysupct-1992.