Abruptly disbanding Major Felony Crime Task Force doesn’t seem to make sense
Editor:
Congratulations to the Orleans County Legislature for considering to eliminate the Major Felony Crime Task Force in the District Attorney’s Office and saving the taxpayers of Orleans County an estimated $400,000. The reason given was the decrease in felony indictments over the previous 3 years and a “new” organizational model that’s being developed to be used within the Sheriff’s Department.
My concern follows in regards to our public safety. Drugs and crime are often related, we hear it in the media from the President on down to the NYS Governor, elected state representatives, local elected officials and the community at large.
Now if the number of felony indictments are coming down, might it be because the Task Force has been doing a great job?
Those involved with the influx of drugs from the large metropolitan cities and counties nearby might be getting the word to go elsewhere to sell their drugs, because of the work of our Task Force.
Illegal drugs will never cease to be an issue but if you do decrease the illicit drug flow, this will ultimately result in a decrease in the associated amount of crime in our county. It takes quite a bit of time and effort to build a criminal case and then prosecute it.
However the job of the Task Force is never done, we see that as the felony rate is decreasing but the amount of misdemeanors issued continues to rise. Seems the present system works quite well, as you see the results in the Hub on a monthly basis.
In the proposed budget it states that a “new” organizational model will be developed and be deployed by the Sheriff’s Department. (Hence: we are working on it, so it’s still a work in progress.)
Now my questions arise: What is the real reason as to why the MFCTF is being eliminated and how is it being handled?
Yesterday, Thursday the 12th, late in the afternoon a meeting was held in the district attorney’s office. District Attorney Howard was then told by the County Administrative/Budget Officer that the MFCTF was being eliminated as of that moment. Blindsided, with no prior communication to her department, her three investigators with over 60 years of experience were terminated. Given minutes to gather their personal belongings, then escorted out the door with the locks to their office changed behind them. “All for budgetary reasons.”
Should I even mention that two DEA agents from the Buffalo office arrived at that time, supposedly to help with securing the evidence room.
Totally improper but who called them and why?
Apparently no thoughts were given to a transition of all the ongoing cases that are currently being investigated.
What about the testimony of the 3 investigators in ongoing criminal cases already in the village, town, county, surrounding counties and even Federal courts? No testimony equals no cases, so do all these individuals get to walk free?
That brings up another question. Can the Sheriff’s Department now field a task force that equals the experience of the 3 fired investigators?
The politically correct answer is, “of course.”
Which brings up the next question. How large of an investment will there now be in the Sheriff’s Department in regards to manpower and the associated training that goes with it? Deputies continue to leave for higher-paying jobs in surrounding counties on a yearly basis. Train them here so they can seek a better paying job there. You just can’t rearrange the organizational chart without decreasing our public safety in another area. Where is the cost analyst on this proposal?
Could it be political, as it was just reported that Mr. Sobieraski was planning once again to run for Sheriff in the next election, just narrowly being defeated in a previous one.
Massage the budget now, save a few taxpayers dollars on the books and pay the price in the years to come. Reminds me of the street hustler that bumps into you, “says excuse me” and later you realize your wallet is missing.
Might be time to talk to your elected legislators and ask them what they are thinking!
Jim Pratt
Albion
