Deputies in the New York City sheriff’s office who serve orders of protection — or “stay away” orders — on behalf of domestic violence victims say they are having trouble keeping up, citing staffing shortages and the diversion of personnel to cannabis enforcement.
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Deputies in the New York City Sheriff’s Office are raising alarms about their ability to keep up with orders of protection—commonly known as “stay away” orders—meant to protect victims of domestic violence. The reason? Staffing shortages and the increasing demand for cannabis enforcement.
Several deputies told Gothamist that they’re supposed to make three separate attempts, at different times of day, to serve these protective orders, which legally require the accused to stay away from their alleged victim until the case is heard in court. However, they said they’re often only able to make one attempt due to a lack of personnel, and sometimes even delay that first attempt if other duties take priority.
Ingrid Simonovic, president of the New York City Deputy Sheriff’s Association, voiced her concerns about the issue at a City Council hearing last month, which focused on the city’s cannabis enforcement efforts. The sheriff's office has been leading a major crackdown on illegal cannabis shops, which has become a priority for both Sheriff Anthony Miranda and Mayor Eric Adams.
“We have received hundreds of complaints from New Yorkers demanding to know what’s going on with their orders of protection,” Simonovic told lawmakers. “Since when does a cannabis shop closing take priority over safeguarding the lives of women who are victimized by domestic violence?”
Four other deputies, who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation, echoed Simonovic’s concerns. They emphasized the challenges of balancing their workload, which includes executing evictions, transporting people for court-ordered psychiatric assessments, and now cannabis enforcement.
Ryan Lavis, a spokesperson for the Department of Finance (which oversees the sheriff’s office), defended the office’s actions in an emailed statement to Gothamist. “Deputy sheriffs are required to follow all legal mandates, with supervisors in place on multiple levels to ensure their responsibilities are being carried out properly,” he said.
This all comes at a time when Mayor Adams has been praising Sheriff Miranda for successfully shutting down over 1,100 unlicensed cannabis shops since May. However, deputies speaking to Gothamist are concerned that Miranda’s focus on cannabis enforcement is pulling them away from other critical duties. Even deputies who aren’t specifically assigned to cannabis enforcement said they’ve been called upon to inspect shops, further straining their already limited resources.
The staffing situation is dire: the sheriff’s office currently has fewer than 200 employees, with over 100 budgeted positions still vacant. “To address attrition and other staffing issues dating back to prior administrations, this administration held a deputy sheriff’s examination in April 2023—the first since 2017—and we are anticipating a new class of approximately 90 recruits this fall,” Lavis said in his statement.
Sheriff Miranda, speaking at the City Council hearing, noted that only about 30 employees are assigned to cannabis enforcement. However, deputies argue that even those who aren't officially part of that unit are still occasionally pulled into cannabis-related tasks.
Following the hearing, Miranda sent a memo addressing Simonovic’s remarks, which was later shared with Gothamist. In the memo, he wrote, “It is the position of the sheriff’s office that all personnel have been compliant with the law and the sheriff’s office is not aware of any misconduct.” He added that the issue has been referred to the Department of Investigation (DOI) for further review.
Diane Struzzi, a spokesperson for the DOI, confirmed that the sheriff had referred concerns about the proper service of orders of protection to the department, and that an investigation is underway.
According to deputies, recent directives have reinforced the requirement to make three attempts to serve orders of protection, but they said it remains a struggle given the current staffing levels and the way personnel is being allocated.
Simonovic noted that orders requiring someone’s removal from their home are prioritized, but other types of protective orders are often delayed until the last minute, since they can legally be served as late as the day before a scheduled court hearing.
Meanwhile, the sheriff’s office is also being investigated by the DOI for allegedly failing to properly account for cash seized during cannabis raids.
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