Clarkstown Police Department

The Clarkstown Town Police Department, is a professional police organization responsible for primary jurisdictional law enforcement for the town of Clarkstown, in Rockland County, New York. The Clarkstown Police Headquarters are located in New City, at 20 Maple Avenue.^[3] The department is a New York State Accredited Agency.^[4]

The Clarkstown Police Department is the largest town police department in New York State. The main police precinct is located in New City, with precinct substations located in Nanuet at the Nanuet Mall and in West Nyack in the Palisades Center Mall. The department consists of several specialized divisions in addition to the regular police division:

Detective Bureau

The Detective Bureau is responsible for investigating all major crimes which occur in the Town of Clarkstown. They also assist the patrol force, if necessary, with investigating any incident that occurs in the town regardless of the nature. A Video Unit and Technical Unit are included within the Bureau. The Bureau is staffed by a Detective Lieutenant, Detective Sergeant and 11 Detectives.^[5]

Juvenile Aid Bureau

The Juvenile Aid Bureau (JAB) is a specialized unit within the Detective Bureau. The Juvenile Aid Bureau's responsibilities are numerous and varied. JAB handles all crimes that have been committed by juveniles as well as crimes with juvenile victims. The Juvenile Aid Bureau handles all child sex abuse and sex crimes that occur within the town. Sexual Offender Registration (Megan's Law), Missing Person cases, and children's safety presentations are handled by JAB. The unit is staffed by five Detectives and a Detective Sergeant.^[6]

D.A.R.E. Program

The Clarkstown Police Department was the first law enforcement agency to initiate the Drug Abuse Resistance Program in Rockland County. The D.A.R.E. Office is staffed by five D.A.R.E. Officers and a Detective Sergeant. Clarkstown's D.A.R.E. Program also sponsors a series of extra curricular activities to promote positive alternatives to drug use.^[7]

Community Policing Unit

The Community Policing Unit of the Clarkstown Police Department enhances the quality of life for the residents of the Town of Clarkstown. This is accomplished by addressing certain problems of the town at the community level. The community policing officers attend meetings of the many organizations throughout the town, such as senior citizens, civic associations, youth organizations, Rotary, Lions Club, etc., and learn first hand from the citizens what problems they are facing. To solve the problems, the police officers work with numerous organizations including governmental agencies, social agencies and civic groups. ^[8]

Traffic Enforcement Bureau

The Clarkstown Police Department's Traffic Enforcement Unit's stated goal is to help reduce the number of motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents in the town. This objective is obtained through selective enforcement by the use of police radar. The bureau compiles data of troublesome areas in the town and targets these areas in order to achieve a safer neighborhood. The unit also conducts commercial motor vehicle inspections on all types of tractor trailers, dump trucks and other large commercial vehicles that travel on our roadways.^[9]

Crime Prevention Unit

The Crime Prevention Unit consists of two Officers. These officers are available for security surveys of homes and businesses. They also make presentations within the community on Neighborhood Watch Programs and various crime prevention topics. They will be implementing a VIN Etching Program of automobile windows to deter auto theft. ^[10]

Records Division

The Records Division is responsible for maintaining all reports completed by the Clarkstown Police Department including Motor Vehicle Accident and Incident reports. The public may obtain copies of these reports through the division.^[11]

Evidence & Property Division

The Evidence and Property Division is responsible for all evidence and property collected by the Clarkstown Police Department. This includes abandoned vehicles and those vehicles involved in either felony crimes or accidents that resulted in fatalities or serious injuries. The Evidence Officer is also responsible for maintaining the chain of evidence of all property involved in criminal cases. ^[12]

ID Bureau

The ID Bureau is responsible for the fingerprinting and photographing of all those arrested for crimes in the Town of Clarkstown. The ID Bureau also fingerprints town residents who are applying for licenses and certifications that require fingerprints.^[13]

Auxiliary Police

The Clarkstown Auxiliary Police Force is a volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation of the quality of life within the Town of Clarkstown and exists to supplement the Clarkstown Police Department in the regulation of traffic, crowd control, protect life and property and preserve the peace. The Auxiliary Police train for and perform these activities and for limited patrol duties, acting as the eyes and ears of the regular patrol force.^[14]

Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT)

The CIRT team is the multi-faceted and multi-talented element within the Clarkstown police Department, responding to all incidents requiring special machinery, emergency rescues, providing backup to the patrol unit in special circumstances, building collapses, and other life-threatening incidents.

The Department also entails an Alarm Enforcement Bureau, Communications Division, and Recruitment Division.

Salaries

In 2009, the Clarkstown Police Department employed the first, second and fourth highest paid county and municipal employees in the State of New York, having the highest average salary statewide of any town.^{[15] [16]} The mean compensation was $148,000 and mean salary was $115,000^[16] more than double the average annual wage ($51,410) of police officers in the USA.^[17] The median income for a household in Clarkstown was last estimated at $95,136, over $50,000 less than the average officer compensation.^[18]

See also

• List of law enforcement agencies in New York

References