Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights) has introduced legislation that would provide identification cards to retired auxiliary police officers with at least 10 years of service or who, being injured in the line of duty, have stepped down because they are unable to continue as APOs.

The legislation, A-1367, would be a way of recognizing the selfless efforts of the volunteers who become auxiliary police officers, said Assemblyman Colton.

“These dedicated men and women put in countless hours on behalf of the community,” he said. “You often see them out on patrol. When there’s a local emergency -- a collision, a blackout or a flood -- you will find them directing traffic. When there’s a parade or a street fair, they are out there assisting with crowd control. Yet, when they retire, the recognition they are entitled to comes to a halt. This would codify their record of service in a substantive way for posterity.”

In New York City, according to the NYPD, auxiliary police officers contribute upwards of one million hours of unpaid service annually, often functioning as the “eyes and ears” of the community while performing non-enforcement and non-hazardous assignments. Each APO must complete 140 hours of training over 18 weeks, and pass both written and physical exams.