Embedded Files
Columbia County Sheriff's Office
Executive order aside, what are the primary concerns and changes the police are hoping to make and what is being done besides this panel?
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is constantly seeking ways to improve and offer training to its members to continue to serve this county in the most professional manner possible. We are hoping to engage community members in open, honest discussions on how to make our agency even better. We also look forward addressing needs that come from input from this panel and the community.
What are the policies regarding use of SWAT teams and no-knock warrants? Use of Tasers and pepper spray? Use of facial recognition technology?
Policies regarding all use of force are compliant with Article 35 of the NYS Penal Law. These policies are also consistent with MPTC and DCJS Model Policies required for accredited agencies.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office does not possess or use any facial recognition technology.
What training is provided to recognize and address hate crimes?
The Sheriff’s Office has a comprehensive “Hate Crimes” policy, which all Deputy Sheriffs are familiar with. This policy is consistent with New York State Penal Law Section 485.05.
Social Media:
The Sheriff’s Office has several social media outlets:
· Agency website: www.columbiacountysheriff.us
· Facebook page: Columbia County Sheriff’s Office
· Nextdoor neighborhood app
· Ring “neighbors” app
We are going through a transition which will allow for more regular updates. We also are interested in helping the public see the person behind the badge (“Humanizing the Badge”). We are working on ways to have a larger social media presence.
MCAT: Describe what it is, how many times used in 2019 and 2020:
MCAT is the Mobile Crisis Assessment Team. The Sheriff’s Office already works with MCAT, and Deputy Sheriffs have assisted MCAT volunteers on numerous Mental Health emergencies.
Community Meals/ “Breaking Bread”:
For the past several years members of the office have attended Senior Luncheons at local retirement communities. School Resource Deputies also have their own creative programs which allows them to “Dine with a Deputy” or “Snack with a Sheriff”. We also host DARE family barbeques at the completion of DARE graduations. These events are normally financed by outside organizations who donate the food and beverage for these events. It is also not uncommon to usually find a Deputy Sheriff at many of the fine local dining establishments throughout Columbia County, as they enjoy a meal during their shift.
Physical Fitness Standards:
All Law Enforcement members are required to undergo annual physicals, and periodic “comprehensive” physicals to insure that they are always fit for duty.
Training:
In addition to the minimum requirements set forth by the New York State Municipal Police Training Council, our Deputy Sheriffs and Investigators receive thousands of additional hours of training each year. In calendar year 2019, our Law Enforcement members completed well in excess of 7,000 documented training hours. This does not include the many hours of undocumented training, and self-enrichment that our members complete on their own – such as legal updates and bulletins, webinars, YouTube videos, etc.
Overtime and Staffing:
Several comments and questions concerned the amount of overtime worked by our members. There are a number of factors that contribute to overtime:
Staffing Requirements:
Columbia County consists of nearly 650 square miles and has almost 60,000 residents and many more visitors throughout the various seasons. There may be a misconception that we are “over-staffed”, when in reality, we could use more Deputy Sheriffs. Our members work around the clock, 365 days a year – three (3) shifts every day. Our 1st shift (A-Line) requires a minimum of only two (2) patrol cars to cover calls and patrol the entire County. Our 2nd shift (B-Line) requires only 1 patrol car during the week, and only two (2) patrol cars on the weekends and holidays. Our 3rd shift (C-Line) only requires three (3) patrol cars every day. When these minimum manpower standards are not met, overtime is required, and this happens frequently. The only way to prevent this would be to add more Deputy Sheriffs to patrol. Any less than the minimum would drastically increase response time to emergencies, and cause significant safety concerns to not only our members, but to the public as well. The minimum staffing set for each shift is based on a collective bargaining agreement between the Deputy Sheriff Benevolent Association and the County.Training:
To accommodate the thousands of hours of training each year, overtime is often required to fill in for those members who are attending training. Everyone agrees that members could always use more training, but more training results in even more overtime, and a higher overall budget for the Sheriff’s Office. When possible training is scheduled so that overtime is not incurred but that is not always feasible due to rotating schedules, and mandatory coverage requirements.Grants, and reimbursed overtime:
A significant amount of overtime earned by our members comes from grant funding, and reimbursed overtime. The Sheriff’s Office receives annual grants for the following areas of enforcement:
· Aggressive Driving
· Seat Belt / Occupant Safety Restraints
· Distracted Driving / Cell Phone Use and Texting
· Drunk and Impaired Drivers (DWI Enforcement)
· Car Seat Safety and Installation
· Marine Patrol
Another large portion of overtime earned by our members comes from reimbursed overtime, in the form of “Enhanced Enforcement
Patrols” and contracts. These include:
· Extra patrols requested by the Towns and Villages of the County to address specific concerns in those municipalities – like
speeding vehicles, vehicle and traffic complaints, and quality of life issues.
· Town Court Security (all but three (3) Towns and Villages use Police for Court Security)
· Private or commercial contracts for large events, movie shoots, etc.
All of these specific enforcement activities are paid for with grant funding – at no cost to the taxpayers of Columbia County, or they are reimbursed by the municipality or entity that contracted for the police services. None of this funding can be reallocated for any other purpose, and this overtime can increase some member’s annual salary significantly if they volunteer to work these details.
Reallocation of funds:
Some comments suggested that some programs be “reallocated” or “outsourced”. This cannot be done for a number of the programs mentioned:
· Disabled and Senior Safety: Our daily senior call system is budgeted, but does not require any human involvement, unless the participant fails to acknowledge the daily call. There is no cost savings to outsourcing this program. During this COVID pandemic, our Deputies on patrol also stop by the homes of elderly residents on a daily basis during their normal shifts – at no additional expense. Sheriff Bartlett initiated this program specifically to check on the most vulnerable population in our County, and many of these residents asked for the Deputies to stop in each day and check on them, and some are still being checked on daily.
· Project Lifesaver: There is no additional funding for this program at all. This is a service provided by the members who are already out on patrol covering calls for service. There is no savings by hiring someone else to locate these vulnerable people who have wandered off. Additionally, the Deputies on patrol, who are specially trained can respond immediately to these calls, and to date, there has been a 100% success rate in locating any of our project lifesaver members who have wandered off.
· Stop the bleed training: This program, and the equipment was purchased using drug asset seizure forfeiture funds, and those funds can only be used for very specific purposes, and cannot be reallocated. Additionally, the training is done by our School Resource Deputies, and there is no cost savings to hire someone else conduct these trainings, as the SRDs are already in the schools working, as they conduct these lifesaving trainings.
Statistical Information:
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office submits monthly reports to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice (NYS DCJS), and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). DCJS then compiles statistics about the arrests made by all agencies in New York State. Here are links to some of that information:
· Adult Arrest Demographics by County and Region
· Dispositions of Adult Arrests (18 and Older)
· Non-New York City UCR Juvenile Arrest/Criminal Activity Data - Under 18
Page updated
Report abuse