By Lourice Angie
The Village of Greenwood Lake Board of Trustees held their regularly monthly meeting on Mon., Jan. 25. Due to COVID-19 guidelines, in-person attendance was limited to Mayor Jesse Dwyer, Board members, and department heads, while the public were invited to join the meeting via Zoom.
Greenwood Lake Police Lt. Adam Eirand reported that he’s been working diligently on the NYS Executive Order 203 which is the State’s Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative plan. The work began with a complete overhaul on the police department’s procedure manual with an emphasis on topics such as use of force, standards of conduct, recruitment, officer involved shootings and deaths, search and seizure, implicit and explicit bias, de-escalation and crisis intervention.
A committee has been created that includes members of local organizations such as the Village Board, Chamber of Commerce, the Elks Lodge, religious leaders, local youth, and members of the police department.
After thorough discussions, they’ve decided the plan will be best built upon a solid foundation. Six pillars have been created. The first pillar is “Building Trust and Legitimacy” which will be achieved by embracing a guardian mindset, adopting procedural justice as a guiding principle, and promoting public trust by growing non-enforcement activities.
G.L. Police Dept. Will Seek Accreditation
The Police Dept. will continue to create a workforce that reflects the community and they will seek accreditation through NYS Municipal Police Training Council and the Commission on accreditation for law enforcement agencies.
“Accreditation through NYS is a prestigious title and it takes a lot of work to get there,” said Lt. Eirand. “We’re aiming for this because we feel by the different things being read and researched that eventually, all law enforcement agencies will be required to become accredited so that they will be held to a higher set of standards.”
The second pillar is “Policy and Oversight.” The police policy manual has already been revamped and they will strive to establish an oversight committee that is composed of sworn-in staff and community members. Their goal is to establish a culture of transparency accountability.
The third pillar is “Technology and Social Media.” The committee reviewed body-worn cameras for police officers. Lt. Eirand believes that in the future this may become a required procedure for all police agencies and part of the criminal procedure law. Additionally, the police department will commit to showing a stronger presence on their website and social media pages by keeping them updated regularly.
Explorer Program Youth
The fourth pillar is “Community Policing and Crime Reduction.” The committee will strive to create an explorer program for the youth aged 14 and older. This will include a collaboration with kids from the community and County and having them involved with the police department and their work within the community. They plan to collaborate with the G.L. Elks antler program, scouts, little league and revamp the drug free community drug coalition and hosting virtual hidden mischief interactive programs.
The fifth pillar is “Training and Education.” Leadership training will be provided to all personnel throughout their careers and collaborate with academic institutions to support a culture that values ongoing education, and implement annual training that includes, crisis intervention, the disease of addiction, procedural justice, implicit bias, use of force, de-escalation, mental health and less lethal.
The sixth pillar is “Officer Safety and Wellness.” Scheduling practices will be periodically reviewed inclusive of shift lengths and rotations to favor the well-being of the officers.
Plan to be Posted Online
The next step in the extensive plan is to present it to the Village Board and have it posted on to the G.L. Police and Village website for public comment. Lt. Eirand anticipates that on Feb. 18, he will hold a fourth panel meeting and review all public comments, discuss these comments and implement any necessary changes. An email will be provided in addition to the Mayor’s email for comment. The committee anticipates that by the next Village Board meeting the plan can be ratified. The document is fluid and will be subject to change.
Police Activity Report
After his presentation, Lt. Eirand reported that in the month of December, the police department became more reactionary than proactive due to the uptick in COVID-19 cases. With that being said, the department responded to 1,393 complaints, made 10 arrests, handled a total of 70 traffic and parking violations, and three motor vehicle accidents.
Lt. Eirand also reported that the police department had received two partially hybrid vehicles back in November. In checking the total gas consumption used from Nov. through Dec., it is estimated that the department saved an approximate total of 112 gallons in fuel in one month.
Village Information Sign
During the Board meeting, Mayor Jesse Dwyer announced that the final proposal has been received for the new informational sign that will be located at the Winstanley Park, located off of Windermere Ave. in Greenwood Lake. Mayor Dwyer says the project came in under budget at approximately $22,000. The Village DPW will handle the manual labor and set up construction. The Board has agreed to the proposal and the project is anticipated to be completed by March. The content displayed on the sign will be updated and accessible via computer by the Village Clerk or the Mayor.
COVID-19 Vaccinations
The State has already begun distributing COVID-19 vaccinations throughout the County. Seniors aged 75 and older, among other frontline workers and groups are the first prioritized by the initial distribution. The Board says this does not suggest that everyone go get vaccinated, in fact, they encourage each person to use their due diligence in deciding whether the vaccine is the right decision for you.
Currently the only way to sign up for the vaccine is online. Seniors 75 and up may not have the necessary resources available to do so. The Village Board will make the G.L. Senior Center computer accessible to anyone who qualifies for the vaccine but cannot sign up. For more information call Senior Director Donna Garley at 549-8135.
Next Board Meeting
The next Village Board meeting will be held via Zoom on Mon., Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m., preceded by a workshop at 6:30 p.m. A link to join the meeting will be posted on the Village website at www.villageofgreenwoodlake.org.
Village of Greenwood Lake Police Department vehicles are pictured outside of the Police Station.
