Crime Scene

Ten Haverstraw town and village police officers will be feted Friday on their retirements after decades of serving the public.

One officer in particular, Hector Soto, already has moved on in life to an elected councilman on the Haverstraw Town Board. Soto worked as a police officer for close to four decades and 36 years as a detective. He worked his share of robberies, shootings, rapes and homicide during his career. For many years, Soto was the county’s … Read more of this entry »

Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani and New York State Gov. Eliot Spitzer will visit Rockland tomorrow and Thursday to endorse local candidates for office.

Giuliani, the Republican former New York City mayor, will be attending a fund-raiser tomorrow for his candidacy and will endorse the re-election of Republicans Michael Bongiorno for district attorney, James Kralik for sheriff. and William Sherwood for the New York State Supreme Court. Giuliani will start his day at 11:30 a.m. at the Blauvelt Coach Diner shaking hands with … Read more of this entry »

The Rockland County Police Hispanic Society will host its 12th annual Dinner Dance Fundraiser on Nov. 3 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Town and Country Caterers on Route 9W in Congers.

The group will be honoring Juan DelPilar, a Rockland County probation officer and past Hispanic society president; Evelyn Rodriguez, a former Haverstraw village trustee; and the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department Community Services Unit. The society also will honor its scholarship recipients: Christopher Sanchez of Clarkstown South High School and Ricardo … Read more of this entry »

Rockland sheriff’s candidate Tim O’Neill today called for Gov. Eliot Spitzer to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate how a Monsey man convicted in Pennsylvania of a vehicular homicide charge ended up being incarcerated in the county jail.

O’Neill’s call came a day after he called for a federal investigation into the case of Ben Klein, who spent nine months in the jail in 2005.

O’Neill claims Republican Sheriff James Kralik lobbied for Klein’s transfer to Rockland in an effort to score … Read more of this entry »

Rockland District Attorney Michael Bongiorno and his election opponent, Democrat Tom Zugibe, each snared endorsements.

Zugibe, a former prosecutor and West Haverstraw justice for 18 years until January, captured the backing of the leadership of the Civil Service Employees Association of Region 3, which represents 40,000 members in the Southern Tier of New York.

Bongiorno won support from the leaders of the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers. The union represents more than 6,000 active and retired, uniformed members … Read more of this entry »

Rockland District Attorney Michael Bongiorno opens his campaign headquarter in Haverstraw village tomorrow on New Main Street.

The “Haverstraw for Bongiorno Headquarters� will open at 12 p.m. at 41 New Main St.. according to Ricky Sanchez, a Democrat and former Haverstraw village trustee who is supporting Bongiorno.

And if the usual political speechs and rah-rah talks don’t attract supporters, a few slices of pizza from Mariella Pizzeria might. And there will be no excuse for the pizza not being hot since … Read more of this entry »

Rockland’s self-proclaimed Law Enforcement Team – known individually as District Attorney Michael Bongiorno and Sheriff James Kralik – have taken to the Internet by sending out e-mails to potential voters in the Nov. 6 election.

In their joint e-mail this week, the two Republicans remind voters that they both are committed to ensuring the county remains one of the safest places to live and – surprise – they are both running for re-election. They also share what they called their achievements, ... Read more of this entry »

During a luncheon on Wednesday, the New York/New Jersey Law Enforcement Partnership honored police officers for their work breaking up a drug dealing gang in Rockland and federal agents for their work on illegal guns and gangs in the Hudson Valley Region.

The partnership is a civilian group recently formed to support police agencies in New York and New Jersey, Orangetown Police Chief Kevin Nulty said before Wenesday’s luncheon ceremony at the Casa Mia House on Route 304 in Blauvelt.

The honorees included John … Read more of this entry »

I spent several hours with a dozen officers barhopping through Spring Valley on Thursday night into this morning.

The two-hour sojourn into the village’s night life of bars catering to the Hispanic community was rather calm, but had its moments.

The police mission was to seize the liquor license at six bars, speak to the owners/managers, and post a notice on each front door stating that alcohol could no longer be served. The State Liquor Authority pulled the licenses of the bars … Read more of this entry »

Parents can provide law enforcement with important information in case their child is kidnapped or missing on Sunday in Nanuet and then again on Sept. 29 in Suffern.

Below is the information from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services:

Parents and guardians will be able to obtain Operation SAFE CHILD cards for their children this month in Nanuet and Suffern. Representatives from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services’ Missing and Exploited Children Clearinghouse will … Read more of this entry »

New York State Secretary for Public Safety Michael Balboni apparently will tour Rockland on Wednesday.
Balboni’s visit follows last week’s meeting in Albany where state and local officials discussed Rockland’s planned multi-million dollar inter-operable communications system and the county’s role in a regional strategy when responding to an emergency, according to Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee’s statement released today.
Jaffee’s statement included a long quote from her on the importance of the radio system and she will co-host Balboni’s tour with County Executive C. ... Read more of this entry »

People interested in golfing and donating to the Rockland Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association should mark Oct. 2 down on their calendar.
That Tuesday is the PBA’s annual fund-raising golf outing in honor of John Casey, a former union president and Orangetown police officer. Casey died of leukemia in February 2000.
The John Casey Memorial Golf Classic raises money for PBA causes, including its Widows and Orphans Fund. This year, the event will be held at the Patriot Hills Golf Course in Stony Point.
The packages … Read more of this entry »

New Hempstead Rabbi Mordachai Tendler won a close decision when a state appellate panel tossed a lawsuit by a woman who accused the rabbi of seducing her and having sex. Tendler, the married son and grandson of prominent Orthodox Jewish rabbis, repeatedly has denied the accusations that he beded several women in his congregation.

Allegations of having sex with women got the married rabbi booted from his post at Kehillat New Hempstead, a synagogue he founded in the Ramapo village of … Read more of this entry »

New York State marked the 20th anniversary of its “Shock Incarceration” program oN Wednesday, featuring graduates and elected officials.

The six-month program is geared toward reducing prison time for criminals. The program puts the offender through of physical labor, academic education, drug treatment and personal counseling. The state claims successful graduates are released as much as 30 months early. While less than 4 percent of incarcerated offenders are shock participants, officials said, the program accounts for more than 10 percent of … Read more of this entry »

Terry Hutmacher has left the building – the Orangetown police station.

After nearly 35 years as a patrol officer, detective and lieutenant. Hutmacher retired Friday.

Aside from being an integral part of numerous major investigations, Hutmacher was one of the county’s original hostage negotiators, as part of the team established in Orangetown several decades ago.

The usually modest Hutmacher remained so in a short interview today. He preferred to speak about his colleagues more than himself. He also had the duty of … Read more of this entry »

New York’s top prosecutors are gathering in New Paltz to discuss criminal justice issues and legal remedies through state legislation.

The New York State District Attorney’s Association’s summer retreat is being hosted by Rockland DA Michael Bongiorno, the association’s current president. Bongiorno chose the Mohawk Mountain Resort in New Paltz for the conference, which started Wednesday and ends Sunday.

The association lobbies lawmakers and the governor for changes in laws.

What also ends Sunday is Bongiorno’s reign as president of the association. ... Read more of this entry »

Paul Modica was sworn-in Tuesday night as the police chief of Spring Valley.

Modica’s wife, Beth, a Ramapo deputy town attorney and former prosecutor, held the bible for his oath-taking and pinned the chief’s insignia on her husband. Spring Valley Justice Alan Simon officiated.

Officers from the Spring Valley, Ramapo and other departments packed the Village Hall meeting room for the ceremony. Others attending the ceremony included Ramapo Police Chief Peter Brower, as well as Rockland District Attorney Michael Bongiorno, Sheriff … Read more of this entry »

Stony Point Police Chief Patrick Brophy today said he officially has asked the Rockland District Attorney’s Office to investigate the fireworks show on July 4th at the home of Councilman Stephen J. Cole-Hatchard, who also is a Clarkstown police detective and a North Rockland school board member.

Possessing, selling and using fireworks for personal use is illegal in New York State.

Brophy wanted to ensure the public confidence in the investigation. He specifically noted that Cole-Hatchard is a town official who is … Read more of this entry »

Following the lead of the New York State Senate, the Assembly has backed tougher drunken driving laws by creating a criminal charge of aggravated vehicular homicide for drunken drivers who kill people. The Senate adopted the measure. The bill awaits Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s signature before becoming law.

Even though the state already has a vehicular homicide statue on the books, proponents argue the new bill would strengthen state law and would carry a state prison sentence of up to 25 years … Read more of this entry »

Want to become a New York State trooper?

Now’s your chance to become one of the gray-suited officers – at least in six months.

Applications are now available for the trooper examination on Jan. 19, Jan. 26, Feb. 2 and Feb. 9, 2008.

The state police also have an “Internet application system”:www.nytrooper.com allowing people to review information about the New York State Police and to easily register for the exam. The website permits the candidate to request a specific exam date and test … Read more of this entry »