Police should protect our Constitutional rights

Dear Editor,

Cheers to law enforcement that follows what is known as True Constitutional Policing.

True Constitutional Policing goes above the letter of the law. Constitutional policing promotes a keen awareness of the civil liberties of society. It is when police ask not what the Constitution allows them to do, but rather when they actively work to protect the civil rights of the people they are policing.

By seeking to protect the people’s Constitutional rights in every interaction, community relations with police improve, and public trust is built. A perfect example is the law enforcement officials who vowed not to enforce Governor Andrew Cuomo’s order on private social gatherings. Kudos to Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino, who is an outspoken critic of Andrew Cuomo’s executive orders. Sheriff Giardino can be quoted: “I don’t have the authority in the Fourth Amendment to go crashing into your house because of an executive order.”

Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa can be quoted saying, “But this is your own home. It’s a whole different ball game when you’re talking about someone’s home. We have to respect individual rights in this country. I think educating people is the way to go, because in a free society, when we start imposing things, certain people get upset.”

Kudos to Sheriff Figueroa for upholding individual liberties ordained by the Constitution.

Sheriffs in at least 11 out of New York’s 62 counties have said they had no intention of enforcing Cuomo’s order on gatherings in private residences.

Zain Eisenberg Kerhonkson, N.Y.