Probation officers urge Westchester legislators to add 25-year retirement option

Several Westchester County probation officers and union leaders told the Board on July 20 that probation staff should be eligible for a 25-year retirement option. Peter Tripodi, a county probation officer and secretary of CSEA Unit 9200, asked the Board to adopt the benefit in the 2027 budget, saying it would ‘‘remedy an inequity’’ and reduce safety risks posed by older officers conducting in‑home work.

‘‘Investing so strongly in probation community supervision personnel is more like a capital investment into this county's infrastructure of employees,’’ Tripodi said, arguing that the option is already used by other counties and was authorized by New York State in 1999. CSEA president Joseph Dali and probation officer Noliva Sanders also testified in favor, with Sanders noting that the probation workforce is ‘‘primarily minority women’’ and describing daily duties that include home visits, arrests and warrant work. Sanders said, ‘‘After 25 years of that service, probation officers deserve the opportunity to retire with dignity.’’

Speakers urged legislators to act ahead of contract negotiations and said the change can be adopted by legislative vote under the 1999 law without bargaining in some counties. The testimony did not request a specific enactment date; no formal motion or vote to change retirement policy was taken at the July 20 meeting. The Board will consider budget items and related proposals in future sessions.