Sagaponack Schedules Vote On Forming Police Department

Publication: The Southampton Press
By Michael Wright   Aug 20, 2013 10:03 AM

Source: 27east.com

Sagaponack Village is continuing to move toward forming its own police department. The Village Board on Monday afternoon unanimously agreed to hold a special meeting on September 7 at which the final decision will be made. 

The board approved the hiring of former Southampton Village and Southampton Town Police Chief William Wilson Jr. to conduct a cost analysis of exactly what the start-up costs and potential contractual obligations would be for the village to form its own police department. Mr. Wilson will present the analysis at the September 7 meeting.

The village is considering whether to form a full-fledged police force, staffed full time, or a part-time force that only provides its own coverage on a seasonal basis or for one of three shifts per day and contracts with a neighboring force, Southampton Town or East Hampton Town are the most likely candidates, to cover the rest of the time. 

Board members said there will not be a dedicated public hearing on the proposal, since one is not required for a simple board resolution, but that public comment would be allowed at the special meeting. The board will vote on the measure at the same meeting. 

Mayor Donald Louchheim said at a specially scheduled Saturday morning meeting earlier this month that he did not want to see the village form its own police force unless there was clear, broad-based support from village residents for doing it. He did not say at this week’s meeting whether the board has decided such broad support was present or not. 

The mayor said that he met with Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst last week to discuss possible changes to the village’s police coverage contract with the town that could head-off a village move to its own police coverage, but that no offer from the town has materialized. He said that up until the September 7 meeting date, the village would listen to any offers the town may make. 

If the village were to form its own force and contract with East Hampton Town for its supplemental coverage, Southampton Town would lose some $2.3 million in annual tax revenues paid by Sagapoanck residents into the town police fund. The cuts, town officials have said, could mean several police officers would have to be laid off from the already short-handed department.