POUGHKEEPSIE – The presence of the New York State Police Dive Team, combined with the closing of lower Main Street in Poughkeepsie Friday afternoon caused a tremendous amount of speculation from the public. The troopers, many from Troop F on the west side of the river declined to provide the reason for their presence, which caused further speculation.
Mid-Hudson News responded to the Main Street area at Waryas Park on Friday just after noon. A State Police vehicle was blocking access to the traffic circle at the waterfront and several members of the New York State Police Underwater Recovery Team (URT) were observed gearing up and wading into the Hudson Rover at the park.
The State Police originally indicated that the exercise was a joint training exercise between the URT and special K9 units. The unusual road closure was said to be a safety measure due to the presence of the dogs.
On Friday evening, a spokesperson for the New York State Police told Mid-Hudson News that the original explanation was incorrect. “The New York State Police apologize for the confusion in Poughkeepsie on Friday afternoon,” the Trooper said. The waterfront and underwater search conducted in Poughkeepsie is part of an ongoing investigation conducted by various divisions of our agency,” said Troop F Spokesperson Steven Nevel. While unable to provide additional information, the Trooper proclaimed that there was no threat to the public associated with the investigation.
Any member of the public that has crime information, confidential tips, or wishes to commend a trooper can find contact information here.
The original Mid-Hudson News story from Friday can be found here. A video of the state police activity can be found below.
