Senator Ken LaValle, (R-Port Jefferson) and Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) reached out to Governor Cuomo regarding the recent changes to the New York State Trooper barracks in Riverside, New York.

The Senator and Assemblyman recently met with officials at the Riverside facility and were disappointed to learn that the front desk will be unmanned, the doors will be locked, dispatch will be handled off site, and at certain times there will be no troopers in the building to unlock the doors in an emergency situation. Much of these changes have been implemented due to a shortage of State Troopers in our region.

The letter states, “While we understand that many agencies and departments experience staffing issues from time to time, it appears as though this staffing shortage is negatively affecting the police services provided to our communities.”

As such, the Senator and Assemblyman asked the Governor to initiate another Trooper class. They also expressed their commitment to ensuring that the necessary funds are included in the upcoming 2016-17 State Budget for the purpose of training new recruits.

“It took a tremendous amount of work at all levels to obtain the land and secure the necessary State dollars to build and outfit this facility. Additionally Local, County and State officials have invested significant resources to redevelop and revitalize the surrounding communities. Reducing the Trooper presence and locking the facility is a step backward in stemming crime in the area. Additional man power and face-to-face, personal interaction are important components in building dependable, trusting and workable relationships between our police and residents.”