Transition is First Step Towards Anticipated 2011 Contract for Police Services
Ossining, NY -- Westchester County will take over dispatching for the Town of Ossining Police Department beginning at 10 am on Wednesday, November 17, Town Supervisor Catherine Borgia (pictured) announced Friday, November 12, 2010. This is a first step in the transition to the Town’s anticipated agreement with Westchester County for the provision of police services in the year 2011.
The Town of Ossining Police will continue to operate as an independent agency during the contract negotiation.
Similar to all Westchester municipalities, the Town of Ossining has an existing Mutual Aid and Rapid Response IMA with the Westchester County Department of Public Safety to handle operational procedures requested by individual municipalities. The arrangement to handle dispatching falls under the terms of that existing agreement.
Police patrol, detective, and administrative staff levels will not be impacted. The Town Police will use this transition time to provide transition training to officers who would have otherwise been assigned to desk duties. An outdoor emergency telephone box has been installed on the exterior of the Town Police Headquarters on North State Road, and will ring into 911 at Westchester County Police Headquarters during times when the front desk is not staffed. Calls to the Town’s administrative line (914-762-6007) will be forwarded to the County office and will be answered by highly qualified/trained Westchester County Police dispatchers and relayed to Town officers.
“There will be no change in the service level of policing to residents,” commented Ossining Town Police Chief Mark Busche, “Town officers will still be patrolling at the same level as before. Police 911 calls will be answered by Westchester county and Town Police will be dispatched as before. Fire and EMS 911 calls will be forwarded to the appropriate Village emergency service by clicking the ‘Fire’ or ‘EMS’ button on the 911 console.”
Town Supervisor Catherine Borgia commented, “This is an important first step in our process of securing the contract for police services with Westchester County. It allows Town of Ossining officers time to transition during our contract negotiation period. Most importantly, it provides a transition time for Town residents to become used to new protocols while at the same time maintaining the high level of police services Town residents expect and deserve.”
