Qualified security officers at three St. Peter’s Health Partners hospitals can now receive peace officer status under a new state law, granting them the authority to detain people, issue appearance tickets and remove trespassers from hospital property. According to health system leaders, the designation applies to St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, Samaritan Hospital’s Albany Memorial Campus and Samaritan Hospital in Troy.
Workplace Violence Surges Across Acute Care Facilities
Over the past six years, hostile incidents directed at hospital personnel have more than doubled within its acute care facilities. According to system data, workplace violence incidents at St. Peter’s Hospital are up 144% over that period, while incidents across the entire St. Peter’s Health Partners system have increased 109%.
St. Peter’s Health Partners cites 316 incidents in 2025 alone: 58 in the SPHP Continuing Care Division, 128 at Samaritan Hospital, 18 at the Albany Memorial Campus, 100 at St. Peter’s Hospital, 7 at Medical Associates, and 5 at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital.
“We’ve had nurses tackled and their arms broken, we’ve had nurses kicked in the abdomen, in the chest, we’ve had security officers who have been spat on in their face and people are bitten and struck and sucker punched,” said Steven Hanks, president and CEO of St. Peter’s Health Partners and St. Joseph’s Health, noting that escalating violence hurts our capacity to serve our local population and complicates recruitment and retention efforts for essential medical personnel amid nationwide workforce shortages in the sector.
Did you know? Operating costs for the security department under Trinity Health New York have grown by roughly $5.8 million, representing a 119% rise since fiscal year 2020. This financial figure excludes capital security improvements such as access controls, cameras and other infrastructure.
Phased Implementation and Law Enforcement Recruitment
Hospital administrators plan to roll out the program to include staff or recruits with prior law enforcement qualifications. Joshua Laiacona, regional director of Safety and Security Services for St. Peter’s Health Partners and St. Joseph’s Health, explained that the current plan involves launching with roughly two of these officers per shift and expanding the presence gradually over the next few years.
“Without having this authority, we often have to wait for law enforcement to show up,” Laiacona explained, adding that the legal designation provides a vital tool for early intervention before incidents grow into something worse.
According to Hanks, the initiative aims to avoid establishing a police state and will instead be deployed progressively over time. St. Peter’s Health Partners says it will include enhanced training, professional standards, regulatory compliance, and appropriate oversight to protect patients, visitors, and health care workers.
Legislative Backing and Frontline Impact
The bill was sponsored by Assemblymember John McDonald and Senator Pat Fahy. McDonald noted that worker and patient safety became an increasingly prominent issue during recurring meetings with hospital leaders as alarming assault stories accumulated.
“No one in health care should have to choose between caring for their community and worrying about their safety,” said Judy Quinn, the nurse manager for the Samaritan Hospital Emergency Department. Having served at the hospital for nearly four decades, Quinn reported that she has never seen this level of verbal threats and physical violence, which has become a daily occurrence and it never used to be a daily occurrence.
Senator Fahy echoed those concerns, asserting that there are no excuses for this violence to be happening and reminding all hospitals are caring, healing places.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which facilities are included in the new peace officer program?
The designation applies to St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, Samaritan Hospital’s Albany Memorial Campus and Samaritan Hospital in Troy.
What specific authorities do the designated peace officers receive?
The newly empowered peace officers will possess the legal capability to take individuals into custody, hand out appearance tickets, and expel trespassers from hospital grounds.
How is the health system funding these enhanced security measures?
Along with capital security improvements such as access controls, cameras and other infrastructure, Trinity Health New York has expanded security department operating expenses by roughly 119%, or about $5.8 million, since fiscal year 2020.
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