The New York State Police held a graduation ceremony Thursday, November 20 for its 2014 Canine Handler Basic School. The ceremony was held at the New York State Police Academy in Albany.
The 14 graduates include members from the New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Madison County Sheriff’s Office and Saugerties Police Department.
Trooper Jeffrey S. Kissock, Canine Ray – Troop D
The canines and their handlers underwent 20 weeks of training at the New York State Police Canine Training Facility located in Cooperstown, New York. During the training, students and their partners received instruction in basic obedience, agility, handler protection, building searches, explosive or narcotic detection, tracking for fugitives and lost or missing persons, basic veterinary care and land navigation and grid searches.
The current strength of the State Police Canine Unit is 81 teams, including those who graduated today. During the first 10 months of 2014 the members of the Division Canine Unit responded to 3,150 calls for service. This class of handlers and their canines will go on patrol starting the week of November 24.
All canines that are part of the Division Canine Unit are donated through the generosity of breeders, private individuals, and humane societies. All canines are put through extensive testing and evaluation prior to assignment in the Canine Basic Handler’s School. State Police canines are named after members killed in the line of duty.
Included among the graduates were Trooper Jeffrey S. Kissock, SP Elbridge, Canine Ray – Troop D (Raymond A. Plunkett) and Deputy Kevin S. Feola, Canine Marty – Madison County Sheriff’s Office (no namesake).
More Troopers to Monitor Roads this Holiday Season
The New York State Police will have additional troopers on the roads this holiday season in an effort to crackdown on drunk driving.
The New York State Police will again participate in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, from Friday, December 12, 2014 through Thursday, January 1, 2015. Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints along with more troopers on major highways during the campaign. Unmarked State Police patrol vehicles will also be on the roads.
Superintendent Joseph A. D’Amico said, “Safety comes first for the New York State Police for our troopers and the drivers and passengers we serve on New York State’s roadways. We want everyone to have a happy holiday – but we also want you to have a safe one. Impaired drivers cause needless deaths and injuries. Have a plan and you could save a life – maybe even your own.”
In addition to the DWI checkpoints and patrols, Troopers will be watching for distracted or impaired drivers, vehicle occupants who are not properly buckled up and drivers violating the “Move Over Law,” which requires motorists to exercise extreme caution when passing emergency vehicles that are stopped in or on the side of the road.
During last year’s campaign, State Police issued more than 38,000 tickets. More than 630 people were charged with DWIs, more than 11,000 drivers were ticketed for speeding and 1,500 drivers were caught for distracted driving.
The facts are grim: During the 2012 holiday period, 1,698 people nationwide were killed on the road, with almost a third of the fatalities related to drunk-driving. On Christmas Day that year, 26 people were killed by drunk drivers.
To keep our roads safer this holiday season, the New York State Police and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offer these tips:
- Plan a safe way home before the celebrating begins;
- Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
- If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation;
- Use your community’s sober ride program;
- If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement;
- If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to their destination safely.
Also, as part of the enhanced enforcement holiday initiative, the New York State Police today will participate in a “Safety Without Borders” campaign in partnership with bordering U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies.
“Safety Without Borders” is a highly visible traffic safety enforcement initiative that emphasizes the shared goal of safe roadways regardless of jurisdictions. The following law enforcement agencies will be participating in this year’s campaign; Vermont State Police, Maine State Police, New Hampshire State Police, Ontario Provincial Police and Sûreté du Québec. Law enforcement officials will be concentrating on offenses that result in the greatest contribution to serious and sometimes fatal collisions, with particular attention to impaired driving, aggressive driving, distracted driving, Move-Over Law violations and improper seat belt use.
This is the third “Safety Without Borders” program conducted during 2014 – previous campaigns took place in April and June, during which participating agencies issued nearly 3,000 tickets. There were no fatal accident investigations that took place during the programs, showing that this partnership is successful in decreasing fatalities throughout the multi-state and Canadian border region. New York has participated in the program since 1994.
Accident Investigation Leads To DWI Arrest In Lenox
(Lenox) Oneida based state police charged a Camden man with DWI following an accident investigation in the Town of Lenox early Thursday morning.
At approximately 12:20 a.m. on November 27, Troopers Stacy L. Ferris and Steven P. Fountain were patrolling on North Court Street in the Town of Lenox when they observed a 2005 Dodge Caravan off the east shoulder of the roadway stuck in the ditch.
Upon further investigation, it was determined that the van had slid off the roadway while northbound on the snow covered pavement. While conducting the accident investigation and interviewing the driver, Roy W. Mosher, 57, of Elpis Road, Camden, it was determined that he was intoxicated.
Mosher was taken into custody for DWI and transported to the SP Oneida barracks for processing. A breath test determined his blood alcohol content to be .08 percent.
Mosher was issued traffic tickets for DWI, Driving with a BAC of .08 percent or greater and speed not reasonable and prudent and is to appear in Lenox Town Court at 3 p.m. Dec. 16.
Email your tips on Warrant Wednesday individuals
Following the initial success of the Warrant Wednesday campaign on the New York State Police Facebook page, State Police are now expanding the way the public can submit tips on featured wanted individuals.
The statewide initiative was rolled out in February of 2014, with a posting each Wednesday featuring posters of wanted persons with arrest or bench warrants from across New York State. A phone number was posted on each poster for the public to call in tips. State Police have made 24 arrests as a direct result of postings on the Division Facebook page. Twelve of those arrests were from tips on warrants that were posted.
Now, in addition to the phone number, an email will be added to the Warrant Wednesday posters. Anyone with information about an individual can email crimetip@troopers.ny.gov.
The Warrant Wednesday program was started after previous wanted postings on the State Police Facebook page, and the public’s assistance, led to the identification and arrest of several individuals.
Each Warrant Wednesday posting includes a poster of a wanted individual contributed by State Police Troops across the state. The poster includes a photo, information about the subject, what they are wanted for, along with the email address and a contact number for the appropriate State Police station. The postings appear as a “photo album” on the State Police Facebook page and distributed via the #WarrantWednesday hashtag on Twitter.
The State Police continues to ask for the public’s assistance in this initiative to help locate these wanted persons. The public is encouraged to view and share the postings each week. It is important that anyone with information as to the whereabouts of the individuals not take any police action themselves, and instead contact State Police. The public should not post tips directly on the Facebook page, but instead use the phone number or email included in each warrant poster.
While a call or email can be anonymous, State Police ask that the public be specific with their tips. When calling or email, include that the tip is Warrant Wednesday related, and include the wanted individual’s name and Troop/State Police station listed on each poster.
A reminder, to view the “Warrant Wednesday” postings, you do not need a Facebook account. You can see the postings by visiting the New York State Police Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nyspolice. If you already have an account, State Police invite you to “Like” the Division’s page.
Postings are also shared on the New York State Police Twitter page at twitter.com/@nyspolice
Thanksgiving weekend traffic enforcement results announced
From Nov. 26 through 30, troopers issued 11,198 tickets during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend traffic enforcement. During the campaign, the New York State Police supplemented regular patrols statewide focusing on speed enforcement, impaired driving, underage drinking and distracted driving.
The effort incorporated fixed sobriety checkpoints, an underage drinker initiative and the “Operation Hang Up” initiative, which targets distracted drivers by utilizing Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement patrol vehicles to better locate drivers talking or texting on handheld devices. These unmarked vehicles blend in with everyday traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.
Troopers also were on the look-out for those not properly buckled up or violating the “Move Over Law.” Tickets issued included 4,237 speeding, 565 distracted driving, 172 driving while intoxicated and 138 Move Over Law violations.
Underage Drinking Initiative Finds Most in Compliance
State Police in Marcy conducted an Underage Drinking Initiative Thursday, Dec. 11, at the following Madison and Oneida county establishments:
“The Fort” located at 97 E. Main St., Morrisville: Colton R. Percival, 18, a bartender at the establishment, was arrested for three counts of first-degree unlawfully dealing with a child and three counts of prohibited sale to a minor. He was issued appearance tickets returnable in Morrisville Village Court at a later date.
“Killabrew” located at 10 Clinton Road, New Hartford: Jeffrey G. Hoffman, 61, a bartender at the establishment, was arrested for three counts of first-degree unlawfully dealing with a child and three counts of prohibited sale to a minor. He was issued appearance tickets returnable in New Hartford Town Court at a later date.
Businesses where a violation takes place are referred to the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
The following establishments were found to be in compliance:
A Plus Sunoco, 9272 Kellogg Road, New Hartford
Byrne Dairy, 185 Oriskany Blvd., Whitesboro
Express Mart, 826 Oriskany Blvd., Yorkville
Fastrac, 1706 Oriskany St., Utica
Mobil Mart, 28 Kellogg Road, New Hartford
Nice N Easy, 1053 New York 12, Sangerfield
Nice N Easy, 17 Genesee St., New Hartford
Nice N Easy, 1701 Burrstone Road, New Hartford
Nice N Easy, 33 Utica St., Clinton
Nice N Easy, 336 State Routes 8 and 20, Bridgewater
Nice N Easy, 4862 Commercial Dr., New York Mills
Nice N Easy, 7296 W. Main St., Westmoreland
Nice N Easy, Route 5 and Route 233, Clinton
Runway Sunoco, 8516 Seneca Tnpk, New Hartford
Stewart’s Shops, 124 W. Main St., Waterville
Sunoco, 1400 E. Dominick St., Rome
Sunoco, 644 State Route 8, Cassville
Xtra Mart, 268 E. Dominick St., Rome
Xtra Mart, 3417 Oneida St., Chadwicks
Xtra Mart, 8536 Seneca Tnpk., New Hartford
The New York State Police, with investigative support provided by the New York State Liquor Authority, routinely conducts underage drinking enforcement operations throughout the state in an effort to curb alcohol abuse and DWI incidents among teenagers. Alcohol consumption by underage consumers has a profound effect on our communities. Teen alcohol consumption is related to traffic accidents, fatalities and crime.