The Overview

If you work security at the Pleasantville village court, you are now a peace officer under New York law. New York's bill designating security officers for the village court of the village of Pleasantville as peace officers, A 3987, became law when it was signed July 24. ​

The National Center for Juvenile and Family Court Judges has described courthouse security incidents as a concern and discussed threats and violent incidents affecting courthouse safety. The bill was signed into law on July 24, 2026.

What the Law Does

The law designates security officers serving the village court of Pleasantville as peace officers, giving them the legal standing that comes with that status under New York law. In New York, peace officer status is a defined classification that carries specific legal authorities, including the power to make warrantless arrests under certain circumstances and to carry firearms when authorized. Before the law, those security officers worked at the court without that formal designation, meaning they lacked the statutory powers and protections the peace officer classification provides.

A New York law signed July 24, 2026, designates security officers for the village court of Pleasantville as peace officers. The change is narrow in scope: it applies only to security officers at that single village court, not to court security personnel statewide or across other Westchester County municipalities.

Legislative Status

Asm. MaryJane Shimsky (D-NY-92) sponsored the bill, with no cosponsors on record. The bill had a winding path: the Assembly passed it once in 2025, it died in the Senate that session, and the Assembly passed it again before the Senate finally acted.

The Assembly passed it 134-9 on June 6, 2025. The Assembly passed it again 128-14 on Feb. 5, 2026. The Senate passed the bill 58-2 on June 4, 2026. The bill took about 18 months, from its first recorded action in January 2025 to its signing on July 24, 2026, to become law.

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