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December 21, 2010
To the Editor:
I am proud to be part of a large group of individuals who attended the village board meeting last night to show our support for Officers Pena and Terwilliger. The majority of the standing room only crowd were village residents and taxpayers. The overwhelming message sent to the board members was that the residents want to keep their two full-time officers in the positions they currently have. I attended the meeting with the sole purpose of voicing my opinion to the board and letting them know I could not support any plan to eliminate these fine officers. That remains my position.
I want to take time now to speak publicly regarding Chief Weber. As our chief of police his number one priority has to be public safety and I wholeheartedly believe that that is his priority. The other side of his job is to prepare and and run his department within his budget. In this economy I know that every department head is being squeezed to do more, or at least the same with less. He was expected to bring to the table options for the village board to consider. That is what he did. He took great deal of heat for it last night as well, but he too has a job to do and I suppose that comes with the title.
I believe he made the statement that he was trying to give them a heads up by telling them they may six months. I understand that as well. I am sure most of us know someone who out of the blue had been handed a box, told to gather their belongings and escorted off the property. However this came about, it was the fact that it came out before the board had actually put the issue to a vote amongst themselves that afforded all of us as residents and taxpayers the opportunity to come out and be heard.
I took the time after the meeting ended to express to Chief Weber that I respect and appreciate him. I also told him that I do not agree at all with village eliminating the positions of the officers under any circumstances.
In my world you can respect someone and still disagree with them.
And now to the village board, I think the taxpayers made their wishes loud and clear! The village residents want to keep their full-time police officers!!! It is not something they want negotiated out of the budget!
Kerry Merritt
Cornwall -on- Hudson, NY
Comments:
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Kerry,
Well said. As I said at the meeting we weren't there to disparage the Chief nor the part time Police Officers. Our purpose was to keep the two full time Police Officers we have stay here. They are the glue that will hold our Police Dept. together. Chief Weber I have no doubt would find great retired Police to become part timers. Of that I have no doubt. It still doesn't replace the two men we all know so well most call by their first names.
I also asked that one part timer, I didn't give her name but most know Pat the time to start a D.A.R.E. program in C-O-H. She is so good at this and our children are the future and I think a little time Pat can spend with the children in COH will pay dividends many times over. I'd ask the board to please look into this as it will be very little cost and mean so much to the small children of our village.
posted by P W on 12/21/10 at 11:21 AM
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