Proposed Cuts to Rockland Sheriff's Office Draw Immediate Fire

Angry statements flew back and forth immediately after County Executive Ed Day proposed to eliminate the Police Division of the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office to save money.

Day made the proposal when he released his budget plan for 2015 Oct. 16. Opposition surfaced immediately among police and local government officials who took to the steps of the county office building in New City in opposition Oct. 17.

According to the Nyack Free Press, opponents said losing the 37 patrol officers in the non-mandated division would force local police departments to pick up the slack, raising local property taxes.

The rally, called by Rockland County Sheriff Louis Falco III, included the Police Chiefs Association and the Rockland County Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association.

Falco said the elimination of the patrol unit would “decimate the Specialty Services that the Sheriff’s Office provides to all of the Town and Village Police Departments. Units like the Bomb Squad, Arson Investigation, Marine, Computer Crime, Crime Scene Unit, Polygraph, and Sketch Artist.”

Read his complete statement at the Nyack Free Press.

After the opponents’ rally, the county executive’s office issued this statement:

We fully understand the reaction of some local law enforcement officers to the County Executive’s 2015 budget proposal. However, it’s absurd to assert that County Executive Day - a former NYPD Detective Commander and Baltimore Police Chief of Detectives - would propose cuts that compromise public safety. All proposed reductions to the Sheriff’s Office are consistent with recommendations offered in an expert independent assessment of the department’s non-mandated road patrol division. As stated by the County Executive during his budget briefing on Thursday, cuts to all County departments and agencies are difficult - but necessary - in order to move the County beyond these turbulent economic times. As always, we look forward to a dialogue with Sheriff Falco on different ways to achieve critical savings.

*”Operational Analysis of the Police Division of the Rockland County Sheriff” authored by Rockland County resident Louis R. Anemone, former NYPD Chief of the Department and one of the co-developers of Compstat.

PHOTO: News 12 Hudson Valley: RC sheriff criticizes proposed budget cuts, 6:33PM Oct. 17