Rockland cops decry 'catastrophic' budget cuts for Sheriff's Office

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

Journal News

NEW CITY — Rockland County's proposed $7.25 million law enforcement cuts will increase crime and severely hamstring the county's abilities to investigate and prosecute people charged with crimes, police and prosecutors said Thursday.

They plan to lobby the county Legislature to restore the money and not eliminate the Sheriff's Office Police Division. The proposal calls for firing 30 of the division's 69 officers and transferring 30 others to the legally required inmate transport unit.

The proposed cuts mean no forensic investigations at crime scenes, no arson investigations, no bomb squad, a diminished task force to target drug dealers, no horse, marine and anti-terrorism units, and no crime analysts and investigation.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

This is just plain insane...eliminate the entire department basically, except for prisoner transport? What are they smoking over there?

Edit: This would mean no county SWAT Team right? Greaaat idea.

Edited November 18, 2011 by efdcapt115

[Bnechis 3,961]

This is just plain insane...eliminate the entire department basically, except for prisoner transport? What are they smoking over there?

They are smoking Albany's "a tax cap will solve all our problems"

[helicopper 1,050]

This is just plain insane...eliminate the entire department basically, except for prisoner transport? What are they smoking over there?

Edit: This would mean no county SWAT Team right? Greaaat idea.

The SWAT team is one of the few things that would remain intact. The SWAT team is made up of officers from all the town PD's and SO.

[gamewell45 258]

Journal News

NEW CITY — Rockland County's proposed $7.25 million law enforcement cuts will increase crime and severely hamstring the county's abilities to investigate and prosecute people charged with crimes, police and prosecutors said Thursday.

They plan to lobby the county Legislature to restore the money and not eliminate the Sheriff's Office Police Division. The proposal calls for firing 30 of the division's 69 officers and transferring 30 others to the legally required inmate transport unit.

The proposed cuts mean no forensic investigations at crime scenes, no arson investigations, no bomb squad, a diminished task force to target drug dealers, no horse, marine and anti-terrorism units, and no crime analysts and investigation.

In the meantime until this mess is resolved, can they ask for assistance from the NYSP if needed?

[helicopper 1,050]

In the meantime until this mess is resolved, can they ask for assistance from the NYSP if needed?

Sure you can. But, and this is not a reflection on any members of the NYSP but rather on their administration and similar budget problems, they're spread too damn thin. The State Police haven't put a class on in years and they're losing people to retirement on a regular basis. They have to cover the entire state so the stark reality is that, yes, the state will come but depending on what resources you need it may take a while.

Rockland County has a bomb squad because it was simply impractical to wait for resources from Newburgh, Middletown or Albany (from the State) or Westchester or Bergen Counties when they had a job. To lose that asset would be a disgrace after all that has been invested (both equipment and personnel training).

Politics at its finest.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Chris:

Isn't some of this coming from years of ongoing comments of duplication of services for some of the larger departments? Including some within the local law enforcement community that also at one point were saying the same even with the SWAT team.

[Guest truck1234]

how come they don't cut social services programs where you have people from all over the country and the world lining up to enroll or our medicad and medicare program which cost more than california and texas combined?

[YogruntNy 21]

disgraceful...

I've worked closely with alot of guys in the RSD, and many of the units are crucial to aid in many cases, whether it be a drug bust or even counterterrorism. I PRAY that these cuts dont last, and these units continue to function. A mutual working effort between many of the neighboring agencies in this area is vital to everyones safety...whther they realize or not!

...sigh...

[ace84 100]

Orange County Sheriff's Office Patrol is also being stripped down to bare bones No marine Unit Cuts in K-9 services NO SROs

[v85 212]

ace84: I didn't know that. Very sad to see that happen. However, isn't there a difference in that technically the Orange County SO isn't really supposed to have a "patrol" division anyway and its current form is relatively new, while Rockland has always had one, regardless of what the charter says

If anything we should be consolidating the small towns/villages into the SO, not stripping the SO down