The Town of Cortlandt has contracted for an additional Westchester County police officer to enhance community policing and traffic safety initiatives in town.
The addition of a specialized traffic safety officer at the Cortlandt Precinct will enhance safety and quality of life in the community through public education, targeted enforcement and collaboration with town officials and community organizations.
The primary goals of the precinct’s traffic unit include:
- Deterring aggressive driving, including speeding, tail-gaiting and other dangerous driving behaviors;
- Reducing accidents town-wide and increasing enforcement at accident-prone locations;
- Deterring distracted driving offenses, such as texting while driving;
- Combatting impaired driving;
- Enhancing pedestrian safety, and
- Promoting voluntary compliance with traffic laws to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians in the Town.
“The Westchester County Police have provided exemplary police service to Cortlandt since 1999, and the scope of the Department’s work has increased over time. The County is proud of this great partnership with Cortlandt and supports the expanded initiative to make the town’s roadways safer for all who live, work and do business in this vibrant community,” County Executive George Latimer said.
Cortlandt Town Supervisor Dr. Richard Becker said, “The Town of Cortlandt is fortunate to have this excellent service provided by the Westchester County Department of Public Safety. We welcome Police Officer Al Ramos to the Town of Cortlandt. We thank Westchester County Executive Latimer, Acting Public Safety Commissioner Raynor and the Westchester County Board of Legislators for assisting us with this new addition. We continue to add resources to our community and we look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Westchester County.”
The priorities of the traffic safety officer will be established with input from the town supervisor, town officials, neighborhood and business organizations, and other stakeholders in the community. The assigned traffic safety officer will work in partnership with the precinct’s supervisor, patrol officers and community resource officer on traffic safety campaigns and enforcement details throughout the Town. In addition, the Department anticipates working collaboratively with the New York State Police and neighboring police departments on joint traffic safety enforcement details.
Acting Public Safety Commissioner Terrance Raynor said the Westchester County Police are grateful for the continued support that town leaders and residents have demonstrated for the County Police.
“Our officers work hard every day to keep Cortlandt safe and they strive to build relationships across the entire Cortlandt community. We are grateful for the trust the community has placed in us through the expanded services being provided by our Community Resource Officer and this new traffic safety officer.”
In 2022, the Cortlandt Town Board expanded the police contract to create a Community Resource officer position. The CRO interacts regularly with neighborhood and community organizations, the business community, youth groups, clergy and other stakeholders to identify and address quality-of-life issues of concern. The CRO also works closely with the Mobile Crisis Response Team and conducts follow-up on domestic violence incidents.
The new officer assigned to the Cortlandt Precinct is Police Officer Alberto Ramos, a seven-year law enforcement veteran. PO Ramos began his career in 2018 with the Mount Vernon Police Department. He transferred to the County Police in 2020 and has been assigned to parkway patrol, the Mount Kisco precinct and the motorcycle unit.
In addition to the patrol officers assigned to the Cortlandt Precinct, Westchester County Police officers serve as School Resource Officers in a number of schools in the town. The Lakeland School District contracts for three SROs and the Hendrick Hudson School District for two.