Mayor Rolison, podium, addresses the new officers
POUGHKEEPSIE – Just days after the Poughkeepsie Common Council
passed the delayed “retention” plan for the police department,
the city has hired seven new officers.
One officer transferred in to the department last week and is already
on the street while the remaining six were sworn in at a city hall ceremony
on Friday.
The six officers, five male and one female, will attend the Dutchess County
Police Academy beginning on August 20. After graduating the 15 week training
the recruits will then spend several more weeks training with experienced
city police officers.
In welcoming the officers to the city, Mayor Rob Rolison, a retired Town
of Poughkeepsie Police detective said when he was a town officer, “I
was always in awe of the city PD” because of their great reputation.
Rolison also announced that earlier in the day he had met with the acting
superintendent of the Poughkeepsie City School District and school board
president to discuss school security for the upcoming year.
“There are 4,700 students in the district and they will become your
responsibility to keep safe,” the mayor said, stressing the need
for the new recruits to get to know everyone in the city.
Detective Chris Libolt, vice-president of the City of Poughkeepsie PBA
said that “getting these seven new hires is the first sign that the
retention plan is working!”
