TOWN OF FISHKILL – Town Supervisor Ozzy Albra sent an email to Fishkill town residents this weekend disavowing the claim that he is defunding the police. The PBA, the union representing the police, says that Albra is certainly defunding the department.
In September of this year, PBA President Carl DeMarco addressed the town board and was critical of the way Albra was seeking to hire a lieutenant from outside of the department. He told the board that Albra is trying to dismantle the police department by not filling several vacancies.
“He is quietly defunding the department,” DeMarco told Mid-Hudson News on Sunday. “Mr. Albra has defunded the department through attrition by not backfilling open positions,” the cop said. DeMarco noted that the department currently has five vacancies in the patrol division, and they are short two lieutenants, two detectives, and two dispatchers, and Albra is making it difficult to fill the spots.
When DeMarco and fellow union official Steve Bouffard attempted to speak at the September meeting, Albra kept interrupting the two, leading to a heated exchange during which DeMarco told Albra, “At this point, we have zero trust in you,” and he chastised Albra for interrupting. “You’re an absolute bully.”
PBA Vice-president Steven Bouffard was also interrupted by Albra while attempting to speak, at which point Bouffard told the board, “Mr. Albra is immature – he’s vindictive.” A video of the exchange can be watched by clicking this link.
Albra’s recent email concerning the defunding noted that he is seeking to hire new members. “The Town of Fishkill is currently seeking qualified applicants for the position of Part-Time Police Officer,” adding that he would like to hire locally. “I urge Fishkill residents to apply for this position. If you are a former law enforcement officer who has been retired for fewer than four years, you are eligible for this position,” Albra said.
Albra says he is not defunding the police. “Nothing could be further from the truth.” Albra, who served in the Town of Bedford Police Department at one time told Mid-Hudson News in July of 2020. “There will be no defunding. I will not defund the police department and we are probably going to hire extra officers because we are going to do police accreditation, something I always wanted to do here, and that is going to require a dedicated officer to do that,” he said. The full article can be read here.
In August of 2020, Albra unsuccessfully attempted to re-hire embattled former Fishkill police sergeant Scott Bierce, who was facing departmental charges at the time of his resignation in 2020. Bierce filed a federal suit against the town over being decertified as a police officer. An account of Albra’s attempt can be found here.
Most recently, Albra was criticized for spending almost $29,000 on an off-road vehicle for the police department. The vehicle has not been used since it arrived in March of this year.
