Earlier this week, it was reported that Orange County is a possible site to relocate the 9/11 terrorist trials, if Governor’s Island cannot be used. While I certainly understand the concerns of holding the trials in lower Manhattan, ensuring the security of residents in Orange County, if a site here is chosen, is of paramount importance to me.
Possible sites include the Bureau of Prisons complex in Otisville, the National Guard air base at Stewart Airport, or West Point. All three are located here in Orange County. Another possible site is the federal courthouse in White Plains.
It is my opinion that holding the trials anywhere in New York State puts our residents at danger and, as much as I would like to see justice met, I do not want to further endanger our residents. The federal government seems determined to hold the trials somewhere in our state, and I plead with them to do everything to ensure the safety of our citizens, wherever the trials are held.
In addition to providing increased security for our residents and communities, the federal government should pay for the entire cost of the increased and necessary security. So many of our lives were forever changed on September 11, 2001; it is unjust to ask New Yorkers to foot the bill for the federal government’s poor decision to hold the trials in our state.