FORESTBURGH – Well over 100 people – local firefighters and civilians – gathered at the Forestburgh Firehouse on Saturday to support a bill being introduced in the state legislation that would allow judges to set bail for alleged arsonists.
The proposed legislation comes following the line-of-duty death of Forestburgh Assistant Chief William “Billy” Steinberg on Saturday, January 15.
Mohammed Islam, 32, of Brooklyn, was arrested for allegedly setting that fire and two others just days before.
Because of state criminal justice reform, pushed by the New York City Democratic lawmakers in Albany, Islam was released without bail on the first two fires.
Had bail been set, it is likely he would not have been free to set the fire in which Steinberg was killed, Republican State Senator Mike Martucci (R, New Hampton) and Democratic Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D, Forestburgh) said on Saturday.
Their position was supported during the weekend news conference by Sullivan County Sheriff Mike Schiff and District Attorney Meagan Galligan.
Steinberg’s father, a former fire chief himself, suggested the change to the no-bail law. “The system has failed our community, our family and Billy,” he said.
