Cuts in Courtroom Could Save Harrison Money

In an effort to cut costs, the New York State Assembly has passed a bill that would allow the Harrison Town and Village Courts to function without a uniformed police officer, replacing the officer with a different town employee at a cheaper cost to the town.

The bill, entitled A10761A would allow non-police officers to act as peace officers while court is in session, meaning that a court attendant would probably replace the officer. The court attendant could legally carry a weapon, with a permit, if the proper training was completed.

The bill passed the Assembly with a 144 - 2 vote. It has not been voted on in the New York State Senate. If the Senate passes the vote, it will go to Governor David Paterson's desk where it will be vetoed or signed into law.

Robert Castelli, who represents the 89th district in the NYS Assembly and prime-sponsored the bill, said that he thinks the change can result in big savings without sacrificing safety.

"This bill will result in real savings for the Town and Village of Harrison by allowing employees serving as court attendants to function as peace officers while they are working in the local court system," Castelli said.  "In these tough economic times, I am pleased that my first bill to pass the Assembly is one that will provide our local governments with needed relief."

The bill itself cites the "intense pressure to reduce operating costs to keep already strained municipal budgets in balance and to keep future property tax increases at a minimum," as part of its justification.

If approved, the law would also allow another police officer to be on the street while court is in session, a time when many officers are in court anyway, said Castelli. This specific law would only affect Harrison, but it has been used in other Westchester municipalities. 

Harrison Mayor/Supervisor Joan Walsh said that she supports the bill and expects Harrison to take advantage of it as soon as it is made into law.

"It's a cost saving measure," said Walsh. "For us, it makes sense."

Walsh said that there will still be two uniformed police officers in or near the courtroom while court is in session as a safety precaution, so she has no concerns about safety. There are normally three officers in the area.

"This way we can put them back on duty," said Walsh, adding that the town already has an employee in mind who would fill-in for the third police officer. Walsh said that the person in mind's salary is much less than that of a police officer.

The law would give the power of making arrests to the acting peace officers while court is in session, again, if they are properly trained.

Although the new law could help the town financially, similar bills have made it to the governor's desk in the past, only to be vetoed.

"I don't know why," Walsh said when asked about the veto. "Hopefully this time it gets through."