SAUGERTIES – On Saturday, for the third time in two days, 41-year-old Saugerties resident Christine Diliberto was arrested for Obstruction of Governmental Administration. The most recent arrest is the 106’th time Diliberto has been arrested since 2016, according to Chief Joseph Sinagra.
“A majority of Diliberti’s arrests have been under the NYS Mental Hygiene Law 9.41. This underscores the failure of NYS to provide adequate and equitable mental health care for those suffering from mental health issues.,” said Sinagra.
On September 5, 2020, at 3:55 pm, Saugerties Police responded to 55 E. Bridge Street in the Village of Saugerties for an intoxicated female that has been contacting official emergency police telephone lines multiple times between the hours of 1256 pm and 3:42 pm, for no legitimate purpose. Upon arrival, contact was made with Christine Diliberto who was highly intoxicated. Diliberto was processed on the misdemeanor charge of Obstruction Governmental Administration in the second degree and then transported to the Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley for a Mental Health Evaluation and treatment for acute alcohol poisoning.
Chief Sinagra expressed his frustration with the lack of services available for individuals with mental health needs in Ulster County. “This is why Ulster County needs a Stabilization Center like the one in Dutchess County! There is a major gap in our dismantled mental health care system that is allowing individuals suffering from substance abuse to continually slip through.”
