New Jailers In New York City Didn't Pass Final Gun Training: Report

The New York City Correction Department has planned to employ 348 new police officers in jails around the city, despite the fact that they failed in the final stage of gun training before their graduation which was scheduled on Wednesday, as stated in an exclusive report by the New York Daily News.

The report said that the officers completed the first two days of a four-day course and 40-hour initial gun training session which is what is required by the state law. However, hundreds of them failed to finish the last stage of their gun training session.

The report then said that the union which represents the jail officers was very angry about the situation. They reportedly said that they sent a warning about the issue months ago to Correction Commissioner Cynthia Brann and also requested her to extend the training period in the academy by a month for a class of 1,144 recruits.

However, Brann, who was assigned as Commissioner of the Department of Correction in October, denied the fact that she was warned.

Elias Husamudeen, the President of the Corrections Officers Benevolent Association said, "She instead chose to allow them to graduate and potentially jeopardize their safety and the public’s safety." He added, "that’s inexcusable."

The report stated that officers who serve in jail don’t carry their guns into the dormitory until and unless there is an emergency situation. But they do keep their weapons when they have to escort an inmate to the court or to the hospital.

A correction department spokesman reportedly said that the new recruits go through an onboarding process which lasts for two weeks. He also said that they are not assigned to escort the inmates because that requires them to carry a gun with them.

The department reportedly stated that all the officers would be trained by Dec. 29.

Peter Thorne, another spokesman for the correction department said: "Each recruit has already met the state requirements for firearms training, and we give them additional training that even exceeds that."

He then went on to say, "With large classes, that can mean some finish up the training right after graduation. Suggesting that we’re somehow overlooking or cutting corners with firearms training is untrue."

However, according to the report, jail insiders pointed out the fact that the final phase of the gun training course focuses on a pivotal scenario-based training exercise. They also said that the recruits are taught how to work, efficiently and with safety, in an "arsenal post" inside a jail facility. They are also taught how to survive during a gun fight if one is injured and the best practices to apply when using a firearm.

In an earlier New York Daily News report, the Department of Investigation (DOI) Commissioner, Mark Peter’s office came out with details which revealed ethical violations by Cynthia Brann.

The report stated that the DOI found Brann misused her city car for personal business and drove it to outlet malls and also to the Kennedy Airport. In another instance of unethical behavior, when she had to pay $6000 to the Conflicts of Interest Board, she sent an employee working under her to get a cashier’s check because her bank was situated outside the state.