Popular Searches
Print
E-mail
Comment
RateNew Baltimore sheriff's substation is a "win-win"
By Hilary Hawke
NEW BALTIMORE - The sun was shining both literally and figuratively on New Baltimore Saturday as officials from the town, the county and the state gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new sheriff substation.
State Assemblyman Tim Gordon joined Sen. James Seward, Greene County Sheriff Greg Seeley, Greene County Legislature Chairman Wayne Speenburgh, New Baltimore representative Jim Van Slyke, Supervisor David Louis and members of the New Baltimore Town Board for the station’s unveiling.
Construction on the project began in spring 2008 financed by a $5,000 grant which Gordon helped secure. The New Baltimore Town Board also provided roughly $2,000 in funds.
Gordon said that many projects come before the State Assembly and funding decisions are always difficult but the New Baltimore sheriff substation was a win-win for everyone from taxpayers to town residents to the Sheriff’s Office.
“We’ve achieved a huge pay-off for a modest investment,” he said. “This new substation will improve emergency response and public safety throughout New Baltimore and northeastern Greene County.”
Members of Boy Scout Troop 45 helped frame the stations walls and Town Board Member Art Byas served as the ‘go-to guy’ for the project, overseeing the design and the construction.
Personnel from the Sheriff’s Office, CO’s and volunteers all had a hand in bringing the substation to fruition.
New Baltimore is the last in a series of substations the Sheriff’s Office created, beginning with the Prattsville Station in the 1990s.
The department has also set up a substation in Greeneville and is finishing one in Cairo.
With the opening of the New Baltimore branch, Sheriff Seeley is confident the entire county has adequate police presence.
“The northern corridor, including New Baltimore, suffered from a lack of police presence in recent years,” Seeley said.
Not only does the town get 24/7 police service but the officers benefit from this arrangement, too.
Now, instead of reporting to Catskill to pick up a patrol car and then driving to New Baltimore, they’re able to drive their own car to the job, change into their uniforms and begin their shift immediately.
Seeley said there’s already been an impact from stationing deputies in town rather than in Catskill.
“A couple of weeks ago a 911 call came in about an individual driving erratically on Route 51,” he said. “According to the caller, the suspect had nearly crashed headfirst into them.”
Seeley said the deputy was on the scene within minutes, gave chase to the suspect, arrested him and booked him for DWI.
“If deputies had not been headquartered nearby the suspect could have gotten away and injured someone.”
“I’ve long been a fan of substations,” Seeley added. “They put Sheriff Deputies in the communities, where they should be.”
There are now four deputies and two patrol cars assigned to New Baltimore. The deputies work 12-hour shifts, either from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or vice versa.
Seeley said he was grateful to New Baltimore Town Board Supervisor David Louis and Board members Art Byas, Chris Norris, Arlene McKeon and Kevin Kuenster for providing office space and computer equipment to the substation.
Van Slyke, the New Baltimore representative to the Greene County Legislature was also instrumental in getting the project off the ground.
Between Gordon’s $5,000 grant, the $2,000 put up by the town, the volunteer hours, trustee labor and boy scouts participation, the cost to the taxpayers was next to nothing.
“I didn’t have to hire anyone,” Seeley said. “The substation keeps the deputies in the rural community, where they should be and cuts down on 911 response times.”
Bill Lawrence, chairman of the Public Safety Department, characterized Seeley as a human whirlwind committed to serving all of Greene County.
“Two weeks after he got elected, he was at the Catskill Budget Hearing and said he wanted a substation at New Baltimore,” Lawrence said. “A little more than a year later, Greg has honored his commitment and New Baltimore is a safer community.”
Seward called the station an opportunity to serve the taxpayers through coordination of different levels of government, including the town, the county and the state.
Louis spoke of the way teamwork has improved the quality of life for New Baltimore residents and Van Slyke called the substation a great addition to the town.
He recalls begging the county to provide police presence as long ago as 1992.
At the time, he said he was told, “If you want it, you have to pay for it.”
Van Slyke responded that New Baltimore did pay for it through county taxes.
Despite the praise heaped on him, Seeley downplayed his involvement, saying, “It was the complete sheriff’s department, the staff and the deputies. They are the backbone of the department.”
“Without the help of Assemblyman Gordon, the Town Board, especially Art Byas, the volunteers, the boy scouts, Senator Seward, Wayne Speenburgh and everyone else who contributed their time and effort the substation would never have been built,” he added.
State Assemblyman Tim Gordon joined Sen. James Seward, Greene County Sheriff Greg Seeley, Greene County Legislature Chairman Wayne Speenburgh, New Baltimore representative Jim Van Slyke, Supervisor David Louis and members of the New Baltimore Town Board for the station’s unveiling.
Construction on the project began in spring 2008 financed by a $5,000 grant which Gordon helped secure. The New Baltimore Town Board also provided roughly $2,000 in funds.
Gordon said that many projects come before the State Assembly and funding decisions are always difficult but the New Baltimore sheriff substation was a win-win for everyone from taxpayers to town residents to the Sheriff’s Office.
“We’ve achieved a huge pay-off for a modest investment,” he said. “This new substation will improve emergency response and public safety throughout New Baltimore and northeastern Greene County.”
Members of Boy Scout Troop 45 helped frame the stations walls and Town Board Member Art Byas served as the ‘go-to guy’ for the project, overseeing the design and the construction.
Personnel from the Sheriff’s Office, CO’s and volunteers all had a hand in bringing the substation to fruition.
New Baltimore is the last in a series of substations the Sheriff’s Office created, beginning with the Prattsville Station in the 1990s.
The department has also set up a substation in Greeneville and is finishing one in Cairo.
With the opening of the New Baltimore branch, Sheriff Seeley is confident the entire county has adequate police presence.
“The northern corridor, including New Baltimore, suffered from a lack of police presence in recent years,” Seeley said.
Not only does the town get 24/7 police service but the officers benefit from this arrangement, too.
Now, instead of reporting to Catskill to pick up a patrol car and then driving to New Baltimore, they’re able to drive their own car to the job, change into their uniforms and begin their shift immediately.
Seeley said there’s already been an impact from stationing deputies in town rather than in Catskill.
“A couple of weeks ago a 911 call came in about an individual driving erratically on Route 51,” he said. “According to the caller, the suspect had nearly crashed headfirst into them.”
Seeley said the deputy was on the scene within minutes, gave chase to the suspect, arrested him and booked him for DWI.
“If deputies had not been headquartered nearby the suspect could have gotten away and injured someone.”
“I’ve long been a fan of substations,” Seeley added. “They put Sheriff Deputies in the communities, where they should be.”
There are now four deputies and two patrol cars assigned to New Baltimore. The deputies work 12-hour shifts, either from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or vice versa.
Seeley said he was grateful to New Baltimore Town Board Supervisor David Louis and Board members Art Byas, Chris Norris, Arlene McKeon and Kevin Kuenster for providing office space and computer equipment to the substation.
Van Slyke, the New Baltimore representative to the Greene County Legislature was also instrumental in getting the project off the ground.
Between Gordon’s $5,000 grant, the $2,000 put up by the town, the volunteer hours, trustee labor and boy scouts participation, the cost to the taxpayers was next to nothing.
“I didn’t have to hire anyone,” Seeley said. “The substation keeps the deputies in the rural community, where they should be and cuts down on 911 response times.”
Bill Lawrence, chairman of the Public Safety Department, characterized Seeley as a human whirlwind committed to serving all of Greene County.
“Two weeks after he got elected, he was at the Catskill Budget Hearing and said he wanted a substation at New Baltimore,” Lawrence said. “A little more than a year later, Greg has honored his commitment and New Baltimore is a safer community.”
Seward called the station an opportunity to serve the taxpayers through coordination of different levels of government, including the town, the county and the state.
Louis spoke of the way teamwork has improved the quality of life for New Baltimore residents and Van Slyke called the substation a great addition to the town.
He recalls begging the county to provide police presence as long ago as 1992.
At the time, he said he was told, “If you want it, you have to pay for it.”
Van Slyke responded that New Baltimore did pay for it through county taxes.
Despite the praise heaped on him, Seeley downplayed his involvement, saying, “It was the complete sheriff’s department, the staff and the deputies. They are the backbone of the department.”
“Without the help of Assemblyman Gordon, the Town Board, especially Art Byas, the volunteers, the boy scouts, Senator Seward, Wayne Speenburgh and everyone else who contributed their time and effort the substation would never have been built,” he added.
 |
||
| Catskill’s super Second Saturday |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of thedailymail.net.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
green wrote on Jul 16, 2009 5:12 PM:
Im just saying ppl have been talking this in Hunter/Tannersville board meetings since like last October, right?? Lets move it here! /like Coxsackie- Who is first to wake up, smell the crisis & pay it forward here in 'Green'e County /NY "