Sargeant Schofield,
I am perplexed. If having a staff of police to patrol and upkeep the law is profitable then perhaps the Town should seek a private security firm to bid on our services. Somehow this just does not sit well that our safety and security would be seen as a profit center. Speeding tickets?

there is revenue to be made by the police officers - I believe this refers to increased enforcement. More summonses and fines, for the public. Many municipalities in this area seem to agree with this for-profit police model. I do not.

To the above responders,

I fail to understand why the police are always the first to be attacked. When cars are speeding in the neighborhood, the police are "doing nothing about it!". When they conduct enforcement, they are "picking on the residents for profit!". Incredible. What the SERGEANT is stating in his letter is not some new philosophy for police enforcement. The town makes a profit from the police enforcing the NYS vehicle and traffic law and NYS penal law, among others, and the residents benefit by living in a safer community and driving on safer roadways. It's not a 'for-profit police model'. If you don't want a ticket, the answer is very simple...OBEY THE RULES OF THE ROAD. The idea of a private security firm protecting the town is not only absurd, it is illegal in New York state.

I will research the legality of a privatized police force. The Federal Government Hires Private Security so why not Cornwall? Why the hostility? If there is a more efficient way to provide security, keep jobs and be progressive we should. Whats absurd is that we have a Village, Town and State Police enforcement. I think there is a place for police and I know many personally. I do not like the fact that it is being portrayed as a remedy for fiscal problems. If the Town needs more money to operate well then just raise the damn taxes, it is what it is good bad or indifferent. We need more support for the Highway Department our roads are terrible. Main Street needs maintenance and our recreation department should subsidize use of the pool and parking at the Hudson River, not add more enforcement for profit, quality of life, support for our seniors is more important that giving speeding tickets.

Mr Schneider, you are missing the point. The whole idea of policing the community is to improve quality of life for everyone who lives there. The town collects fines to help offset the cost of running the police department. This is a practice that has gone on for many years, not some new 'for-profit police model' as Mr Klein suggested or a new remedy for fiscal problems as you suggested. The police department IS a source of revenue for the town.

Sgt Schofield was just trying to point this out to those who think they would be saving a lot of money by eliminating police positions. And I was not being hostile in my last post. I'm just tired of the police being the first to be attacked by both the town/village government and the residents that they/we protect. There are plenty of ways to reduce spending that won't cost our town employees their jobs or compromise public safety. I believe the first place we should be looking is the school budget and the outrageous salaries our school administrators are being paid. The superintendent of Cornwall schools makes more than the governor of the state and we have a kindergarten teacher that makes more than the chief of police. Does that seem reasonable to you? It doesn't to me.