Albion PD offers to patrol outside village in Town of Albion, help with V & T enforcement

Photo by Tom Rivers: Albion Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley, right, tell the Albion Town Board that village officials are willing to have Albion police officials expand their patrols outside the village in the Town of Albion on a trial basis for six months at no cost to the town. Albion Police Department representatives include, from left: Police Chief David Mogle, Sgt. Robert Wagner and Lt. Brandon Annable.

ALBION – The Albion Police Department is willing to expand its patrols outside the village of Albion into the town to help with vehicle and traffic enforcement, and lower-level crimes.

Police Chief David Mogle said the department has the blessing from the Village Board to work outside the village in a six-month trial at no cost to the town.

Mogle said the department is currently hamstrung to respond to some calls because the town, outside the village, is outside the APD jurisdiction. The APD does assist in about 130 to 140 calls a year in the town, often larcenies at Walmart. Mogle said the APD will be the first officer on scene, and then hand those cases over to either the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office or State Police.

Mogle said the APD has at least three officers on duty working day and night shifts and they could respond to calls in the town.

The Town Board would need to sign a memorandum of understanding with the village, allowing the Albion PD to do vehicle and traffic enforcement and handle some of the lower-level crimes, such as harassment. Mogle said there have been fatal accidents and other serious car crashes in the town. The Albion PD could respond sooner to these incidents with the MOU with the town, Mogle said.

“We’d like to prevent crime before it gets to the village,” he said.

Mogle was joined by Lt. Brandon Annable, Sgt. Robert Wagner and Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley in a presentation to the Albion Town Board on Tuesday.

The Albion PD has 12 officers, plus a clerk. The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and State Police often have resources away from Albion and can’t quickly get to calls in the town, Mogle said.

“We’re not trying to undercut or diminish the work they do,” Annable told the Town Board. “They do a great job. We’re just trying to help out.”

Town Supervisor Richard Remley and the Town Board said they will consider the expanded coverage from the Albion PD. Mogle and Riley said they would like to see Albion PD working more outside the village in January and see how it goes for six months.

“We’ll definitely consider it and get back to you,” Remley said.

Mogle and Annable presented similar agreements to the Albion Town Board that the Middleport Police Department has with the towns of Hartland and Royalton, and the Le Roy Police Department has with the Town of Le Roy.

The Albion PD would like to focus on traffic enforcement but could handle other calls “as needed,” Mogle said.

The Albion officers also go to EMS calls in the village and could do that for some of the calls outside the village. Mogle said the patrol cars have automated external defibrillators (AED). An AED is used when a person’s heart suddenly stops working. Mogle said officers have made a difference for three people by using AEDs.

“If we can save a life, we’re going to do it,” Mogle said.