The homes of Lloyd police officers who live in the town, half the officers of the force, are now being watched by on-duty coworkers, according to police chief James Janso. The officers were being targeted, he disclosed at a September 9 meeting of the Lloyd Town Board. “They’re following police officers home, they’re marking our cars,” the chief said. He didn’t further identify who “they” might be.
Janso characterized law-enforcement officers as “the last line of defense for towns, cities and villages,” and voiced disagreement with the idea that by being “pro-law enforcement, you’re anti-something else.”
Local Ulster County legislator Mary Beth Maio, a Republican whose district includes part of the towns of Lloyd and Marlborough, called for a show of support for the police. “In the current political climate, I can’t imagine how dedicated police officers and their families can deal with this additional threat to their personal lives, their home and even their children and do this demanding and dangerous job,” Maio said in the statement. “The vast majority of our police force, especially our local police officers, are responsible, responsive and respectful of the public.”
In her statement, Maio observed that the Ulster County Criminal Justice Reform Task Force members, which include representatives of law enforcement, “were in the process of reaching out to diverse local groups and churches to collect information about what would make those groups feel safer.”
“This could be an opportunity to strike a balance of public safety and officer safety,” she said.
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