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January 10, 2011
To The Editor:
Growing up in the village of Cornwall-on-Hudson I watched the police department evolve from a part-time “constabulary” where Chief Harry Maher Sr. and Jim Craig were the only protectors of village residents to its current configuration. Along the way, chiefs of police like Nicholas Corea, Richard Douglass and Charles Williams always relied on a combination of full-time and part-time police officers to patrol the streets of Cornwall-on-Hudson.
In all of those years, I never heard Chief Corea, Chief Douglass or Chief Williams publicly denigrate officers under their command by belittling their reason for serving the village or the way they did so. By calling department members “hobby cops” the current chief has not only placed a stigma on their professionalism, he has, in a guilt by association manner, implied that their work product is not up to par. This painting-with-a-wide-brush implication causes most of the department members to suffer unnecessarily just to advance an organizational agenda where a chosen few “hobby cops” can wear white shirts and declare the department “fixed.” It is short-sighted, self-serving and stretches the Pollyanna principle to its maximum.
As a former police administrator, who started his career as a “hobby cop” in the village of Cornwall- on-Hudson, I cannot support this public flogging or the proposal to bring in a spate of new faces just to continue the current crime control model of municipal policing when a more successful and financially viable public safety business model of policing exists where tactics, technology and means of alternative service can eliminate unnecessary expenses rather than personnel.
Village board members have praised the “thinking outside the box” proposal that led to the less than surgical decision to eviscerate the two remaining full time police officers in the village. How can the personnel axe now being bandied about be “outside of the box” thinking when that very issue was one of the questions asked during my interview for the village police department Office In Charge position following the retirement of Chief Williams. When asked, I suggested several alternative proposals that would, in my opinion, have accomplished a more than acceptable financial overhaul of the department without personnel cuts. I did not believe then, nor do I believe now, that cutting the funding for Officer Terwilliger and Officer Pena is a necessary objective.
What should be of paramount importance to village taxpayers and residents at this juncture is not the back and forth histrionics embroiling Terwilliger and Pena but the cold hard fact that the village board has not once asked the taxpayers and residents what they want when it comes to the services they pay for. The Board was elected to serve the people and the “WE” they keep throwing out there should mean the residents and taxpayers, not themselves.
The issue of funding the Village police department, i.e.Terwilliger and Pena, could easily be made part of the March 2011 Village election process. An up or down vote by the taxpayers and residents should be easy for the board to understand. And if a ballot resolution would take too long or the issue needs to be addressed before a final vote on the next village budget, an independently conducted and properly set forth residents poll (telephone, computer, or door-to-door) could accomplish the same thing. Local colleges with students needing to complete projects involving statistical data or students needing a pre-Masters project or pre-Doctoral thesis study aren’t that difficult to find. They may even work for free. Even hiring a polling professional, if there was no other way, could certainly be cheaper than paying for the legal battles over the employee rights of Terwilliger and Pena, potential unfair labor practices engaged in by the Village and potentially exhaustive Public Employee Relations Board appearances that may also be looming on the horizon as well. Let’s truly think out of the box for once, OK?
So I say to the Village Board, “Show me the money!!!” Take the emotion out of the Terwilliger and Pena issue. Put the real dollars and cents out there in print. How much do they cost the taxpayers now and how much will the taxpayers benefit if they are let go? Terwilliger and Pena deserve that small bit of transparency for the dedication and personal service they have rendered the residents of the Village of Cornwall on Hudson.
Russell Odell
Cornwall-on-Hudson
(Mr. Odell is the former town of Cornwall police chief.)
Comments:
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The continuity of the police force is important I vote to keep our two full time officers or maybe even raise it one. I wouldn't even bother bringing it to a vote the trustees should scrap the motion
But how are we going to pay for our legal bills or our police dept. when our beloved trustees are trying to take money out of the line item for police?
posted by J Buescher on 01/10/11 at 7:20 PM
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No full time police force is a stupid and dangerous idea. When I need the police, What do I do ? Coordinate my problem and or any crime committed against me, my neighbors, my home, or any vehicle accidents, with the part-time schedule ?
posted by Laura Lerner on 01/14/11 at 10:47 AM
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Excellent letter, Mr. Odell. I am surprised more people haven't posted the same. If taxes were low, the residents wouldn't have much to complain about. If the taxes continue to skyrocket and services are reduced, than we have a complete failure of leadership and need a 100% change from top down.
posted by Jake Williams on 01/17/11 at 3:56 PM
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Thanks Rusty !!! I surely hope the
powers that be are listening!!! We
appreciate our full time and existing
part time officers and it is our turn to protect them!!! Elsa Cameron
posted by Elsa Cameron on 01/18/11 at 10:02 AM
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