DeStefano, left, and Maloney, hope federal COPS money will not be
cut
MIDDLETOWN – The COPS program, which has provided $1.6 million
for additional police officers in the cities of Middletown, Newburgh and
Poughkeepsie alone, may be in jeopardy in President Trump’s federal
budget and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D, NY-18) Monday urged him
not to cut the funding.
The Community Oriented Policing Services program is a vital tool to local
crime fighting, Maloney said while at Middletown Police Headquarters.
“My message to President Trump is, if you want to back the badge,
if you want to support law enforcement, talk is cheap, but you have to
put your money where your mouth is,” Maloney said. “The president
ran explicitly on being the law and order candidate. That’s fine
with me, but this is where the test comes.”
Middletown Mayor Joseph DeStefano said walking patrols would suffer without
the funding.
“We have a standing order basically on almost every shift where
the police get out and walk through the neighborhoods and meet people
at their homes, have conversations about their neighborhoods and their
concerns. So, I think those things would suffer,” he said.
In just the last three years, the COPS program has provided five officers
for the Poughkeepsie City Police Department, four in the Newburgh City
Police Department and four in Middletown.
Middletown Lt. John Ewanciw said that city has received $500,000 for
the new officers, one of which has been hired already.
