Letter to the SDN about the Police Commissioners

Last week the paper reported on a contentious Police Commission vote that occurred in Fishkill on December 5^th. This vote occurred in a Special Meeting and was brought up without public notice and was in violation of the towns own rules. Let’s see how this played out.

At the 1/4/2012 re-organization meeting, the board voted unanimously to pass a resolution regarding Special Meetings. Which emphasized that these meetings. Were to be considered “Workshop Meetings” as they were not televised and that all votes would be at regular meetings that were televised and open to the public. Also at that meeting, they voted unanimously to accept a resolution in regard to Rules of the Town Board. This established a time period in which a resolution could be offered at a board meeting.

Both of those resolutions were violated by Councilman’s Buck, Curry and Callahan regarding their vote to approve themselves Fishkill’s Police Commissioners. At the Special Meeting, those three took an item designated for discussion and turned it into a resolution and then voted on it.

Supervisor LaColla later stated that. “This type of planning outside the public view is what I campaigned to change and it’s disturbing that it’s coming back.” Both Buck and Curry ran with LaColla last year, together on that same platform.

It should worry the public greatly as this is currently a 5-0 GOP board. As LaColla further stated, “Obviously the three of them have plans.” Well their plan is simple. They want to prevent Councilman elect Tim Tuttle, a Democrat (1^st Democrat in nearly 50 years) from sitting on the Police Commission. For those that don’t know. Fishkill has been hit with 4 lawsuits from police officers suing the town board. One of the cases settled in favor of the officers was covered by this paper.

All of the problems with the police, began when Councilman Buck was designated Police Liaison. Buck recommended all the actions that have resulted in multiple lawsuits, costs and embarrassment to Fishkill. Now instead of tackling those issues in public, himself Callahan and Curry. Decided it was better to protect themselves and not the citizens as Fishkill. Individuals that violate their own rules, lack integrity and honor and don’t deserve to be our councilman. Don’t take this Democrats word for it. Take the Republican Supervisor’s word, when describing his fellow Republicans in the following manner. “Politics are alive and well in Fishkill.” Fishkill deserves better than these small time political hacks.

Ozzy Albra

Fishkill