Ossining Police to Provide Services to Town as well as Village

The Town of Ossining’s contract with the Westchester County police department ends Dec. 31, and a new era commences: the Village of Ossining will provide police services for the term commencing Jan. 1, 2015 through Dec. 31, 2018.

The town of Ossining includes two villages—Ossining and Briarcliff Manor—and an unincorporated area known as the Town-Outside.

The issue of police coverage for the Town-Outside has been a contentious one for years. Many of its residents said they feared to consolidate services because they imagined Ossining police would pay more attention to downtown Ossining than to the outlying areas.

When the Town shut down its police department, shortly after building it a modern headquarters, town officials signed a 4-year contract with Westchester County, and several of its police officers became county cops.

Four years later, after an exhaustive review of proposals from both the county and the village, and input from residents, town officials have made an agreement with the village officials who inhabit the same office building they do.

Town officials said cost of the contract was but one factor; among others considered were the professionalism of the Ossining Police Department, as well as the contiguity of OPD to the Unconsolidated Town area, and the already established relationship of the Ossining Police with the Ossining Union Free School District, its school facilities and students.

• 2015: $1,992,399
• 2016: $1,700,014
• 2017: $1,824,400
• 2018: $1,975,429

The Town Board was scheduled to affirm the contract Oct. 21, and the Village Trustees will vote on the contract on Oct. 22. Both boards will be meeting on their respective nights at 16 Croton Ave. in the 1st Floor Board Room.

PHOTO: Left to right: Ossining Town Supervisor Sue Donnelly, Village Police Chief Joe Burton, and Village of Ossining Mayor William Hanauer