City considers revamping police department

Posted 6/16/21

Some structural changes could be coming to the City of Newburgh Police Department.

The council will hold a public hearing on July 12 on a proposal to create the position of police commissioner to …

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City considers revamping police department

Posted

Some structural changes could be coming to the City of Newburgh Police Department.

The council will hold a public hearing on July 12 on a proposal to create the position of police commissioner to head the department, rather than a police chief.

“Can we hire Tom Selleck as police commissioner,” joked Councilwoman Patty Sofokles. “That would be OK with me.” (Selleck, an actor, plays a New York City Police Commissioner on TV.)

While a police chief is normally a certified police officer who has graduated from a police academy, is licensed to carry a weapon and has risen through the police ranks, a police commissioner can be a civilian hired to oversee the police department. At the present, the City of Newburgh Police Department has neither.

The department is currently headed by Lt. Kevin Lahar who assumed the role of acting chief in April, following the retirement of Police Chief Arnold “Butch” Amthor in April, after less than a year on the job.

Amthor, who has since returned to his prior position as Chief of Police for the Village of Maybrook, was tasked with completing the Executive Order 203 police reform plan ordered by Gov. Andrew Cuomo before the state deadline of April 1.

“Gov Cuomo has tasked us with how to re-imagine our police department,”Mayor Torrance Harvey said at last week’s City Council Work Session.

The mayor said he was excited about the possibility of having a police commissioner and would like to conduct a national search.

“We want to bring positive change between police and community relations,” Harvey said. “We may be able to do that and having a different structure and a different way of looking at leadership in our police department.”

Michelle Kelson, the city corporation counsel, said that under civil service law, the position of police chief must be retained. The police chief would serve under the commissioner.

The city’s website on Friday listed openings for a part-time police chief (with a salary of $35,000) and full-time police commissioner (salary range $110,000 - $123,366). Under general statement of duties, the job posting noted: “The Commissioner shall be responsible for the performance by the police department of its functions, and all persons who are members of the police department shall serve subject to the orders of the Police Commissioner. In so doing, the Police Commissioner insures the efficient operation of the Department through the development and execution of policies necessary for the prevention or detection of criminal activities and the protection of lives and property. The Police Commissioner is responsible to the City Manager with regard to the determination of basic plans and policies within the Department, but works independently in administering these plans and policies.”

Kelson said the city council could pass the local law to restructure the police department after the July 12 public hearing or it could take additional time for further consideration and review. The council has only one scheduled meeting in July and August, with the next meeting after July 12 scheduled for August 9. In addition to creating the police commissioner position, the law would include other changes. The term “meter maid,” for example, would be replaced with the gender-neutral term “parking enforcement officer.”

City Council members all expressed support for holding the public hearing, but offered no addition thoughts on having a police commissioner.
“Let’s hear from folks,” Councilwoman Karen Meija said. Other council members agreed.