Port Authority board of directors meeting statement

The following statement will be read today at the monthly Board of Directors meeting of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey:

"We represent 35 experienced NY City Police officers on behalf of themselves and those similarly situated who are being kept from being hired by the Port Authority Police Department by New York City's refusal to make their employment records available to Port Authority investigators doing background checks. The officers have won a preliminary injunction declaring the NYPD's refusal to release their records to be arbitrary and capricious. We believe that it is in the public interest for these veteran officers to be hired by the Port Authority Police and are seeking your assistance in seeing that their background checks proceed by confirming that that the Port Authority will send its investigators to expeditiously review the necessary records at New York City Police Headquarters if the automatic stay of enforcement of the preliminary injunction won by these officers is vacated by the appeals court. In addition, we ask that the three to twelve officers who will turn 35 by the first day of the port authority police academy class following the upcoming June 15th class be deemed to have commenced the police academy as of the June 15th class, so that they will not age out because of the NYPD's refusal to release their records. Unlike others who might age out, these officers have done everything possible, including going to court, to complete the Port Authority hiring process, only to be stopped by another public entity. These officers, who put their lives on the line protecting other citizens, come to this Board to protect the livelihoods of their families. Please do what you can to help them and increase ranks of the Port Authority Police with these experienced police officers who are the most likely to succeed in the police academy and on the job."