NY Lawmaker Wants To Make Attacking Police A Hate Crime

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Should physically attacking a police officer be considered a hate crime?

One lawmaker from Staten Island thinks so.

Assemblyman Ronald Castorina has introduced a "Blue Lives Matter" bill which would toughen penalties for those who punch, throw rocks or bottles, or assault police in any other way.

"Police officers throughout the country, not just in the city of New York or the state of New York, have been attacked only because they wear the police uniform," Castorina told 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck. "I think as elected officials it's incumbent upon us to identify that and to make sure that we promulgate laws that protect these officers."

"What's going to happen is the person is definitely going to think twice before actually committing the crime," said Joe Imperatice, an NYPD sergeant who is the founder and president of Blue Lives Matter NY. "Another thing is, if they do end up getting charged with this beforehand, they might be behind bars and not be able to hurt one of the officers or kill them."

Killing a police officer is already a capital offense in New York.

The "Blue Lives Matter" bill would add police officers to other protected classes like race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion, which are already part of New York's hate crime law.

Castorina is a Republican, Schuck reported. The bill has yet to pass both the assembly and senate, which are controlled by Democrats.

Castorina told Schuck he does not think the bill is political.