Woodstock’s police union, taken by surprise by the recent announcement of a “police reimagination task force,” has reacted cautiously.
“It is very surprising that the supervisor [Bill McKenna] feels the need to create a committee when he has not relayed the need or reasons to us,” said sergeant Adam McGrath, local PBA president. “In the recent past, the union has requested the town board look into some troubling matters of a select few members, but the actions of one or two officers certainly does not represent the whole department.”
McGrath called the task force “a great opportunity for the department to relay to the town and to the public the needs of the department to better serve the community.”
McGrath said the police department had been threatened with dissolution or reduction in size several times. It was already down a sergeant, a detective and a full-time dispatcher.
“The town has recently agreed to settle the lawsuits with four of the members, and it is very coincidental that now that the town is settling, Mr. McKenna is questioning the cost of the department,” he said. “The supervisor has not expressed any public opinion on the cost or performance of the police department to me or any of the members, including the police chief.”
Recently, the town settled for $70,000 a federal lawsuit filed by three police officers and a former dispatcher alleging a hostile work environment and sexual harassment by officer Phil Sinagra.
The department operations budget is around $1.2 million, but is closer to $2 million when personnel costs such as retirement — making up more than one-fifth of the $9.78-million town and highway budget for 2025 — are included.
“The Woodstock Police Department handles a wide variety of calls for service and I believe we are very much appreciated by the community that we serve,” McGrath said. “Our members truly strive to go above and beyond for our community, and I am confident that the community will agree. We do take on many roles, more than just police officers, and we handle many non-emergency calls that frankly other agencies would not entertain. The need for our department is proven through the almost 10,000 calls for service answered last year and the several lives saved over the past several years.”
McGrath also noted the department has been working without a contract since the beginning of January because McKenna has stepped down from the negotiating team.
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