Law enforcement in Westchester County

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are currently 46 local police agencies located in Westchester County. As well as other County, State, and Federal Law Enforcement agencies responsible for protecting Westchester County, these agencies frequently work with one another and other agencies located in the surrounding counties and states as well as the NYPD.

[edit] Local Police Departments

• Ardsley PD
• Bedford PD
• Briarcliff Manor PD
• Bronxville PD
• Buchanan PD
• Croton PD
• Dobbs Ferry PD
• Eastchester PD
• Elmsford PD
• Greenburgh PD
• Harrison PD
• Hastings PD
• Irvington PD
• Larchmont PD
• Lewisboro PD
• Mamaroneck Town PD
• Mamaroneck Village PD
• Mount Kisco PD
• Mount Pleasant PD
• City of Mount Vernon PD
• New Castle PD
• City of New Rochelle PD
• North Castle PD
• North Salem PD
• Ossining Town PD
• Ossining Village PD
• City of Peekskill PD
• Pelham Manor PD
• Pelham Village PD
• Pleasantville PD
• Port Chester PD
• Pound Ridge PD
• Rye Brook PD
• City of Rye PD
• Scarsdale PD
• Sleepy Hollow PD
• Somers PD
• Tarrytown PD
• Tuckahoe PD
• City of White Plains PD
• City of Yonkers PD
• Yorktown PD

[edit] Westchester County Police

The Westchester County Department of Public Safety was created on July 1, 1979 via merger of the Westchester County Sheriff’s Department and the Westchester County Parkway Police to create what is now known as the Westchester County Police. This page is dedicated to the history of the department's predecessor agencies.

The Westchester County Sheriff’s Department: 1683 to 1979

The history of the Westchester County Sheriff’s Department has roots dating all the way back to 1683 when Benjamin Collier, the first sheriff, was appointed by the governor and council of New York. Sheriffs continued to be appointed by the governor until 1846, when the New York State Constitution established provisions for popular election of sheriffs. That year, James M. Bates of Bedford was the first person to be elected to the position of Westchester County Sheriff. The election of sheriffs in Westchester County continued until 1974, when Thomas J. Delaney was voted into the position. Delaney served until the merger with the Parkway Police in 1979. He was then appointed as the first Commissioner—Sheriff of the newly created Westchester County Department of Public Safety. The Sheriff’s department was responsible for investigative activities covering a wide variety of areas. The agency's investigatory jurisdiction included major crimes, high profile cases, and organized crime control. Vice investigations—gambling, narcotics, pornography, and prostitution—were also an area of specialty for sheriff’s investigators. The Sheriff’s Department also operated a tactical response team. Made up of specially selected deputies, the unit trained extensively with special weapons (including AR-15 assault rifles and .308 sniper rifles) and tactics. Capabilities of the squad included execution of high-risk search or arrest warrants.

On May 17, 1792, the first recorded U.S. law enforcement officer, to be killed in the line of duty was Westchester Deputy Sheriff Isaac Smith. Deputy Smith was shot and killed after responding to a call about a drunken cattleman and British loyalist. The suspect was holding the constable at bay with a pistol outside of a Bronx tavern (at the time part of Westchester). As Deputy Smith attempted to arrest him he was shot. The suspect fled to Canada but was eventually caught and hung on October 2, 1793 in White Plains, N.Y. ^{[1] [2]}

The Westchester County Parkway Police: 1929—1979

The Westchester County Parkway Police can be traced back to the spring of 1929, when the Westchester County Park Commission annexed a group of fifteen men from New York City to patrol the newly constructed Bronx River Parkway. Named the Westchester County Park Patrol Force and placed under the command of Superintendent Herman W. Merkel, the agency reported to Park Keeper William J. Byrne. Under these appointments effective June 1, 1926, patrolmen received an annual salary of $1,900 At its inception, a vast majority of the Parkway Patrol’s work was done via surplus World War I motorcycles. This necessitated the establishment of a full motorcycle service and repair shop under the department’s control. When the force was established, all training was provided. Roughly ten years later, the ability to ride a motorcycle was a prerequisite for employment. By the early 1940s, the Parkway Police had grown to a total of 94 men. Of that number, 73 men were assigned to uniformed patrol. The Parkway Police serviced the same parkways now patrolled by the Westchester County Police. Additionally, they covered a number of county parks and golf courses. The Parkway Police supplemented their traffic enforcement and motorist assistance activities with aggressive pursuit of violent offenders who used the parkways as a means of escape. On more than one occasion, stick-up men were captured after a high-speed chase and ensuing shootout. The level of dedication among the Parkway Police was never more apparent than in 1938. At this time, the officers recognized a need for a fully equipped emergency service truck. Their requisition request was denied due to budget constraints, and the officers were told that their request would not be fulfilled in the foreseeable future. The members of he Westchester County Parkway Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (a predecessor to the Department of Public Safety PBA) used their own funds to purchase and equip a state-of-the-art emergency service truck equipped for both rescue and riot control operations. Standard equipment included fire fighting materials, an acetylene torch, picks, shovels, and crowbars. The truck also hauled a tear gas launcher and gas bombs. In June of 1953, the Parkway Police relocated from their headquarters on Pond field Road in Bronxville to a new building located adjacent to the Hawthorne circle. This building would later become the headquarters for the Westchester County Police.

Modern Day Westchester County Police

Today the Westchester County Police is responsible for approximately sixty-six (66) miles of roadway on the Saw Mill River Parkway, Hutchinson River Parkway, Cross County Parkway, and Bronx River parkway. As well as the law enforcement responsibilities of all Westchester county owned property. The Westchester County Police has expanded its role to encompass special units such as the Aviation unit with two helicopters, a Ballistics Unit, a Communications Unit, a SRT or Special Response team (equivalent to a S.W.A.T. Team) with multiple specially outfitted vehicles, a SVIT or Special Victims Investigation Unit, a K-9 Unit, a bomb Unit or Bomb Squad and a mounted unit. As well as a police academy for all law enforcement agencies in Westchester County

Information courtesy Westchester County Dept of Public Safety website.

[edit] Other Law Enforcement Agencies in Westchester County

• New York State Police (has multiple Barracks located in Westchester County, responsible for patrol of state roads and major thoroughfares such as New York State Thruway, Taconic State Parkway, Interstate 684, Interstate 95 just to name a few as well as supplementing local police agencies with additional resources) Pictures of NYSP equipment [[3]]

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• New York State Park Police(responsible for patrol and security of all New York State Parks and Sites in Westchester County)Pictures of NYS Park Police Equipment

• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police (NYS DEC Police)

• New York City Department of Environmental Protection Police(NYC DEP Police-Responsible for securing NYC water supply in Westchester County-IE NYC water shed located in Northern Westchester).

Pictures of NYC DEP Police equipment [[6]]

• Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police(MTA Police-Responsible for security and patrol of Metro North commuter railroad property).