March 9 2011 -- Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino and Ossining Supervisor Catherine Borgia have signed a cost-saving contract for the Department of Public Safety to provide police services to the town.   

At a ceremony held at the former Town of Ossining Police Department headquarters March 9, Astorino and Borgia signed the Inter-Municipal Agreement (IMA), which went into effect on Jan. 1. Under the agreement, the Westchester County police are providing patrol and investigative services to the Town of Ossining.

"The contract between Westchester County and the Town of Ossining is an example of how municipal governments can work together to provide the best available services to residents at the lowest possible cost," Astorino said. "I applaud Supervisor Borgia and the members of the Town Board for looking for creative ways to reduce the tax burden in their community."

With the county police providing communications and supervision from its existing resources, the agreement enables the Town of Ossining to achieve substantial savings annually – estimated at $600,000 the first year and as much as $800,000 in subsequent years – as compared to maintaining its own police department.

"This historic and ground-breaking contract will provide the taxpayers of the Town of Ossining with significant, repeating cost savings, while maintaining the high level of police service Ossining residents deserve," Borgia said. "It is an excellent example of how governments can work together to find new and effective ways of providing vital services to constituents at reduced costs. By working together, we created a mutually beneficial agreement for the Town of Ossining and the County. It was a pleasure to work with the County Executive, the County Board of Legislators and the Commissioner of Public Safety to craft this innovative arrangement."

Under the IMA, the Department of Public Safety is providing two patrol officers on day and evening tours and one officer on the midnight tour; a School Resource Officer at the Anne M. Dorner Middle School; and a detective to handle investigations in the town.

Astorino stressed that the contract requires the town to cover the full cost of the officers assigned to Ossining – including salaries, benefits and pension costs. "This contract is tax neutral to Westchester County taxpayers," Astorino said. "The county is not subsidizing the Town of Ossining."

Public Safety Commissioner George N. Longworth said that the transition in Ossining was a smooth one as a result of a phased-in approach to the consolidation of service:

• Nov. 17, 2010: The county police took over all dispatching and communications functions from the Town of Ossining police. This allowed town police officers to participate in cross-training with county police officers.
• Dec. 31, 2010-Jan. 1, 2011: 10 Town of Ossining Police Department (TOPD) members with the rank of police officer or detective were sworn in Dec. 31 as Westchester County police officers. At 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, the county police began patrolling the town.
• Jan. 31: Four TOPD supervisors – one lieutenant and three sergeants – were sworn in as members of the county police.
• March 2: TOPD Chief Mark Busche was sworn in as a captain in the county police.

"Each phase of the transition enabled Town of Ossining personnel to familiarize the county police with the community and enabled Ossining officers to learn the policies and procedures of the county police," Longworth said. "This approach enabled us to make as seamless a transition as possible."

Longworth praised the Town of Ossining Police Department for more than a century and a half of service to the community. He said the Westchester County police were committed to maintaining the level of personal and professional police service the community has come to expect.

The $2.3 million contract runs for four years and is renewable at its conclusion.

The Department of Public Safety also patrols the Town of Cortlandt under a similar contract for police services.