Mount Vernon to hire 10 additional police officers

[Guest]

Mount Vernon to hire 10 additional police officers

By WILL DAVID

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: June 8, 2007)

MOUNT VERNON - Stirred by a recent spike in violent crimes - including four homicides this year - Mayor Ernest Davis announced yesterday that he would expand the city's police force by the most significant number in recent history.

Davis said he would add 10 new officers to the force, increasing its size from 190 to 200 officers.

Davis made the announcement on the steps of City Hall with much fanfare. The mayor, who is up for re-election, was surrounded by local and county officials, police officers and new police recruits. Police trucks, cars, bicycles and K-9 units were positioned in Roosevelt Square.

"If we are to continue the work that we have started, even the perception of safety must not be compromised," Davis said.

Crime in Mount Vernon for the first five months of this year was down 11 percent from the year-ago period, he said.

"This city is becoming safe for the law-abiding citizens," Mount Vernon Police Commissioner David Chong declared at the news conference.

But Chong acknowledged it would be some time before the new officers could be hired, trained and put on the streets.

"They absolutely will not be here now," he said. "It's a step toward the future. It is a first step."

Mount Vernon's four homicides this year match the total for neighboring Yonkers, though Mount Vernon has only one-third Yonkers' population.

According to city statistics, overall crime in Mount Vernon rose 5.57 percent in 2006 from the previous year. In 2006, five of the seven categories of serious crimes increased in the city compared with 2005. Rapes, robberies, felony assaults, burglaries and grand and petty larcenies all increased last year versus 2005. Only homicides and auto thefts declined in 2006.

"We know that we are putting a lot of stress on the online officers," Davis said.

The expansion responds to the recent violence in the city, including two killings within days of each other in April. Davis said youth violence, illegal guns and drugs were criminal problems in Mount Vernon that needed to be dealt with.

"Part of the problem will be solved by suppression," he said.

If the city could lure officers from other departments to Mount Vernon, which has a starting salary of $36,000, the 10 new officers could be on the streets sometime in the summer. Historically, Mount Vernon loses more officers than it can recruit from other forces because the pay is lower than in most surrounding forces, bar New York City. Transfers from other departments to Mount Vernon are rare.

If Mount Vernon cannot lure officers from other departments, it will have to hire new recruits. Because the recruits undergo training from the county and the class does not begin until Aug. 1, those officers would not be on the streets of Mount Vernon until at least the end of the year.

At the news conference, Davis said the additional officers would cost $500,000.

After the event, City Comptroller Maureen Walker said the price tag would be $618,000. The new officers will be paid from the general fund, she said, and will lower the city surplus. After the first year of service, she said, the new police officers will cost the city $1.3 million.

"We still have to plan for (paying) their second, third and fourth years' salaries," Walker said. "We will feel it. Luckily, the city has the money right now."

The Police Department also has eight vacancies to fill to bring the current force level to 190, she said.

City Council President Steve Horton said Mount Vernon would "spare no effort to make sure that there is a robust Police Department."

Sgt. Kevin Mandel, president of the Mount Vernon Police Benevolent Association, said the city should have 250 officers patrolling.

"This is just a first step," Mandel said. "We need more cops."

Westchester County Legislator Clinton Young, who is Davis' opponent for mayor, said the move was "very positive." But he said Davis has "flip-flopped" because the mayor recently said that hiring more police officers wasn't the answer

[20y2 43]

It's getting the kids under control that will quell 90 percent of the violent crime, I would venture to guess that in any one city/area/precinct that 50 percent of all crime is committed by less than 20 different people.

Oh, and Mt. Vernon is going to have to pay more AND get better equipment in order to attract people, 36K starting salary just doesn't cut it anymore.

[Guest]

Too bad some of that surplus isn't used to hire more FD personnel! At least to get our 3rd truck back in service.

[20y2 43]

Too bad some of that surplus isn't used to hire more FD personnel! At least to get our 3rd truck back in service.

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It would behoove the FDMV to maybe place a few advertisements or have a press conference describing just how under staffed you guys are. The city definitely has the money to adequately staff the PD and FD, I don't understand why they don't.

[Guest]

It would behoove the FDMV to maybe place a few advertisements or have a press conference describing just how under staffed you guys are. The city definitely has the money to adequately staff the PD and FD, I don't understand why they don't.

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Been there, done that bro. a million times but to no avail. Believe me, those City Officials that do have a good head on their shoulders see and agree with our plight, but nothing will ever be done so long as we have other officials, including the Top Dog, and many residents whom don't see the need, because GOD only knows, we only fight a handful of fires a yr. and their house isn't going to burn, it'll be their neighbors. Right? The only thing people in that City are concerned about is Crime and their garbage piling up. It's unfortunate, but that for the most part seems to be the mentality of society in general. Until of course it's their house on fire with family members trapped. Unfortunatley, the FD will never see improvements until that City has a regime change, which unfortunately doesn't seem too likely once again. MT.Vernon is just another Washington, D.C.. Speaking of that, I wonder how the FEDS are making out?

[helicopper 1,050]

This is just part of the usual MVPD cycle - they hire ten and six jump ship for other jobs... They'll never really increase their staffing as long as they pay what they pay and treat their guys the way they do.