EIC's Research:
EIC volunteers believe incorporation is the right choice for Edgemont. These discussions are the results of our research and analysis. We encourage you to read our analyses of the issues, conduct your own research, contribute to the conversation, and make your own decision.
Police Q&A
As an incorporated village, what options would Edgemont have for police services?
The Village Board of Trustees will have sufficient budgetary capacity at Edgemont's current Town tax rate to choose among multiple potential options for the delivery of police services including an inter-municipal agreement ("IMA") with the Town of Greenburgh (which the EIC believes is the most likely outcome); an IMA with Westchester County; or a dedicated Edgemont Village police force.
Would the Town of Greenburgh Police Department be willing to contract with the Village of Edgemont?
Town-village inter-municipal agreements ("IMAs") for police services are common in New York and encouraged by state laws. An incorporated Village of Edgemont could contract with the Town such that current police services do not change and Greenburgh continues to receive significant revenue from Edgemont.
Because the Town of Greenburgh has long provided good police services to Edgemont and has significant fixed costs in this department, the EIC believes that continuing to provide the same or similar services to an incorporated Edgemont under an inter-municipal agreement would be financially beneficial to the Town and motivate Greenburgh to negotiate mutually agreeable contract terms. Favorably, Town Supervisor Paul Feiner has expressed his support for shared services. However, the Town has not officially expressed an interest in working with a newly incorporated Edgemont.
Would any such contract cover the ambulance transport services currently provided by the Greenburgh Police Department to the unincorporated area?
Yes.
Would the Westchester County Department of Public Safety be willing to contract with the Village of Edgemont?
Yes. Westchester County Executive George Latimer has officially expressed interest in working with a new Village of Edgemont with respect to police and other services in the event Greenburgh does not.
The Westchester County Department of Public Safety offers local patrol and specialized services via inter-municipal agreements to villages, towns, and cities.
The County's police force--with more than 300 employees--historically has focused on parks, parkways, and specialized services, but also provides local patrols via contracts with the Village/Town of Mt. Kisco and the Town of Cortlandt, as authorized by County law. The Mt. Kisco contract began in 2015 and has since been extended. According to Mt. Kisco Mayor Gina D. Picinich: “Our agreement with the County with forward-thinking public safety strategies, the most recent technology, extensive resources and well trained officers who are an integral part of the community. Our partnership is a case study in effective shared services.”
What service level could the County provide to Edgemont Village?
An IMA with the County Police would include dedicated 24/7 village patrols; resources specifically focused on Central Avenue; a ratio of over 3 officers per 1,000 residents (vs. the 2.7 we receive from Greenburgh today); dedicated supervisory staff and detectives; a local substation (potentially); and access to the County’s substantial pool of patrol and specialized resources that secure nearby County parkways, parks, and facilities.
The service levels and costs written into the County's 5-year police contract with Mt. Kisco are helpful. Of particular interest is “Schedule A” which sets forth very specific, measurable service level requirements including dedicated, around-the-clock village patrols (which Edgemont does not currently enjoy as an unincorporated neighborhood of Greenburgh) and ready backup from the County's 300-plus staff and specialized resources.
The Westchester County Department of Public Safety maintains a local identity in its policing of Mt. Kisco Village. The County provides Mt. Kisco with a dedicated, full-service corps of patrol officers and detectives as well as backup from the County's large and specialized staff.
How common is it for county police agencies to serve incorporated villages?
In Westchester, the County only patrols locally in Mt. Kisco and Cortlandt. However, on Long Island, Nassau County provides police protection to 38 of its 64 villages.
What are the advantages of a large County police force?
By contracting with Westchester County, Edgemont could:
Avoid start-up costs and duplication (i.e. take advantage of economies of scale);
Leverage existing infrastructure of large force to support new requirements (terror training, crowd control, technology, monitoring, reporting, etc.); and
Enjoy ready access to significant backup (thereby reducing reliance on mutual aid).
As an alternative to an inter-municipal agreement, could the Village of Edgemont develop its own police force?
The Village of Rye Brook established its full-service police force soon after its incorporation in 1982.
Yes, athough we believe this scenario is unlikely. Currently, 22 of 23 Westchester villages maintain their own police departments. While the EIC believes that a contractual arrangement with the Town or County is preferable upon incorporation, the Village of Edgemont would have ample budgetary resources to fund a village police department with:
24/7 village coverage at very high levels (3.2 officers per 1,000 residents vs. Greenburgh's 2.7);
Dedicated Central Avenue and neighborhood patrols; and
Local facilities, including an Edgemont-based police headquarters.
How would the Village of Edgemont document its police arrangement if it were to contract with the Town or County?
Arrangements between local governments, such as the police agreement discussed above, are typically documented via inter-municipal agreements (“IMAs”). Like any contract, they are subject to negotiation as to mutually acceptable service levels and costs. IMAs are common in New York and elsewhere and shared initiatives for police and other services are encouraged by New York State legislation and policy.
Below are examples of inter-governmental agreements for police services between New York State municipalities:
Would an incorporated Edgemont with its own village police force still be entitled to “enhanced” police services from the Town and Westchester County?
Yes. Regardless of how police is delivered within an incorporated Edgemont, the incorporated Village would remain a part of Greenburgh, just like the six existing villages. Edgemont residents would continue to pay:
Town-wide taxes, which would entitle the Village to GPD SWAT, traffic control, civil defense, advanced life support, and all associated equipment including ambulances and fly cars; and
County taxes, which cover a number of high-level specialized services including 911 dispatch, a special response team, K-9 units, bomb squad, and aviation.
Would a Village of Edgemont police force have the added protection of a mutual aid program?
Yes. Regardless of how the Village delivers police, Edgemont--just like all cities, towns, and villages in Westchester--would be a party to the Westchester County Mutual Aid and Rapid Response Plan ("MARRP"). Under the MARRP, each agency receives (and agrees to provide) assistance and cooperation to: “provide the uninterrupted delivery of police service during those situations that exceed the resources of any individual department.” The municipalities in Edgemont’s “zone” are the six Greenburgh villages, the Town of Greenburgh, the Town/Village of Scarsdale, the City of White Plains, and the City of Yonkers. Favorably, the entities within Edgemont's mutual aid zone include many nearby large units of government with sophisticated services and equipment.
Bottom line: is the Village of Edgemont guaranteed police coverage upon incorporation and perpetually? Will we have the resources?
Yes. Town Law 150 states that a town must provide police services, indefinitely, to a village that does not have its own police force or has not secured police protection through some other means. The Village of Edgemont would receive police services from the Town of Greenburgh for as long as necessary (assuming the Village does not provide for one itself, either directly or via contract).
In 1995, the New York State Attorney General confirmed that towns may not offer such police services selectively: "The legislative intent behind this statutory framework is clear... if a town maintains a police department, it is required to provide law enforcement services throughout the town, including any village which does not have its own police department."