Village Presence at Southeast Court Leads to New BPD Hire [VIDEO]

Southeast Supervisor Tony Hay says the Village of Brewster has "stepped up" following an unexpected twist in an arrangement between the two municipalities.

The Village and the Town came together on in early January. One calls for a single BPD officer to be present at town court. Previously, the  (PCSO) sent two deputies.

The Town Board's intention was to keep one deputy on and replace the other with a BPD officer, in an effort to save money. A Village officer cost $25 per hour, whereas a deputy's hourly rate ranges from roughly $36 to $65, Hay said.

For the past several weeks, two members of the BPD—which has hired an additional part-time officer—have been manning the court. 

Officials from the Town and the Village say deputies have stopped showing up.

Hay wrote Sheriff Donald B. Smith a letter Jan. 8 asking for the agency to endorse the inter-municipal agreement and continue to provide a deputy. Several other folks — including Brewster Mayor Jim Schoenig, Brewster Police Chief John DelGardo, Putnam County Executive MaryEllen ODell and the Putnam County Legislature — were copied on the document.

Capt. William McNamara of the PCSO said Tuesday that the sheriff was in Albany on business and that Smith would fully review the letter and respond to Hay before commenting publicly. 

Hay told Patch that he is still waiting to hear back from Smith, but that in the meantime, the Town is saving money.

Southeast Town Court is generally held twice weekly. Anywhere from 90 to 100 people are on a calendar for a single vehicle and traffic session. However, that number will likely decrease in the coming months because the department , according to one of the court clerks. For the criminal calendar, justices typically hear a minimum of 100 cases.

Court security across Putnam County varies. Kent, Patterson and Putnam Valley employ security officers, while the Town of Carmel police officers oversee respective sessions.

Mayor Jim Schoenig attributed the need for an additional officer to the Village's new presence at Southeast Justice Court. Several BPD officers have been rotating shifts there.

Village of Brewster Justice Richard O'Rourke swore in Officer Angelo Prestamo on Monday evening. Prestamo, 50, comes to the  (BPD) from the Yonkers PD. According to Chief John DelGardo, the addition of Prestamo brings the department to 17 part-time officers, who, on average, work two shifts per week.