New Paltz Town Police Commissioners listened to a pitch to get a new weapon system for an officer who works with the collaborative Ulster County Emergency Response Team (UCERT) at their meeting on September 23, and after they switched to their regular roles as members of the Town Council, they approved spending as much as $2,300 in seized assets to secure the new equipment. While those elected officials were swayed by the argument of safety, some members of the public saw a disconnect since much of the rest of the Police Commission meeting was about finding ways to help citizens feel safe — rather than threatened — by the presence of police officers.
Joseph Sciutto, commander of the multi-jurisdictional UCERT, explained at the meeting that equipment upgrades are necessary to keep members of the task force safe — and that paying for those upgrades is cost of participation, along with the salary of the officer. UCERT is a group that’s trained to respond to situations involving hostages, snipers and other risk factors. They train intensely with live ammunition and prefer to use suppressors to reduce the noise. This not only takes less of a toll on officers’ hearing, it makes it easier to figure out who’s on the team just by the sound of gunfire. The approved plan is to trade in the old long gun for one with a suppressor system.
Resident Edgar Rodriguez observed that this move is one that reinforces a perception that “we are living in a police state, in a town with low crime.” Maggie Veve echoed that sentiment and suggested other ways to use the funds, but seized assets — money and items taken from individuals accused of certain crimes — can only be used in limited ways to bolster police activity.
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