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 only Spanish-speaking officer – and constantly called by other departments.

On Friday, a retirement dinner will be held at the Patriot Hills course clubhouse in Stony Point.
Aside from Soto, the other town police officer- honorees are Detective Richard Janeli, Sgt. DannyFarrell and Officer William Harvey.

Six Haverstraw village officers who retired when the Haverstraw village police department disbanded two years ago and the town police force took over patrolling the village. They are Police Chief John Reilly, Sgt. Claudio Gatti, Sgt. Paul Hykas, Detective Sgt. Frank Alessio, Detective Vincent Ryan and Officer Richard Chorus.

And several other retirees – such as Detective Lt. Richard Rogers from the sunny shores and golf courses of Florida – and officers from across the department will attend the dinner.

Anyone interested in attending can call members of the planning committee – Dave Kryger, Jose Luna, Jorge Folch and Peter Connolly – at the Haverstraw Town Police Department at 845-354-1500.

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 diners, Rockland GOP Chairman Vincent Reda said.

Spitzer, a Democrat, will visit Haverstraw village at 9:30 a.m. Thursday to endorse Rockland County Democrats running for office.

Spitzer, a Democrat, will back former West Haverstraw Justice Thomas Zugibe for district attorney, Clarkstown Detective Sgt. Tim O’Neill for sheriff, and Surrogate Court Justice Robert Berliner for state Supreme Court justice.

Rockland Democratic Party Chairman Vincent J. Monte said Spitzer will meet with Democrats running for office and public at the Quisqueya Club, 25-27 Broadway, Haverstraw village.

And with a wedding planned in New Square on Thursday night, the governor may stay a bit longer and join other Democrats and Republicans and pay his respect to the village leadership, which controls a powerful voting bloc.

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 Gonzalez of North Rockland High School.

Between honoring and eating, there will be live music by “La Rebellion” for listening and dancing.

For more information on the Rockland County Police Hispanic Society and for tickets, call 845-721-2620 or go to “Hispanic Society”:http://www.rcphs.com

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 political points with the Ramapo Hasidic Jewish community. O’Neill, a Democrat Stony Point councilman and Clarkstown police detective sergeant, is looking to oust Kralik as sheriff in the Nov. 6 election.

Kralik, who is seeking his fifth, four-year term, has denied O’Neill’s accusations. He said he didn’t even know about Klein or his case until O’Neill raised the issue on Tuesday.

“If this is not a made up story by him, let him produce one person, just one person, that would give any validity to his ridiculous statements,â€? Kralik said today. “He can’t. By innuendo, he’s raising the issue of the Hasidic community in order to get votes. I never lobbyed anyone or spoke to anyone in the Jewish community.â€?

O’Neill responded today by telephone that Kralik was responsible as sheriff of the jail. And O’Neill said if Kralik didn’t know about Pennsylvania inmate being housed in the jail, he should have.

In his press release issued today, O’Neill described what he believed Kralik’s role was more directly.

“Today I urge Governor Eliot Spitzer to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Jim Kralik’s outrageous behavior,â€? O’Neill said in a news release.

O’Neill also said in the news release that District Attorney Michael Bongiorno cannot investigate the Klein case because he has been “colluding with the sheriff as they run for re-election .. “ Bongiorno and Kralik are running as the “law and order team.”

“Rockland residents must look to an outside special prosecutor for justice,â€? O’Neill said. “The County Jail cannot be turned into Kralik’s personal hotel.â€?

A Pennsylvania judge signed an order in 2005 transferring Klein to the Rockland county jail to serve out a one to two sentence. Klein pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle for reckless driving that caused the death of his passenger, Jacob Weisz, 48, of Monsey.

According letters provided by O’Neill, Jail Chief William Clark wrote a letter extolling Klein to the judge and discussed a possible transfer to the Rockland jail at no cost to Lancaster County. Clark said he got involved at the request of the jail’s Jewish chaplin, Rabbi Abraham Horowitz, and Klein’s rabbi.

Clark said the transfer was about making money for the jail since Klein’s synagogue paid the county $26,000 for his nine-month incarceration. O’Neill originally stated on Tuesday that Rockland taxpayers paid for Klein’s incarceration in the jail. He said today that didn’t know the synagogue paid the bill, though he found it strange that such arrangements were allowed.

The housing of prisoners has made $500,000 for the jail since 2001. Clark said the jail made about $35,000 on Klein and two inmates from Arizona. He said the rest of the money was for inmates from New York City, the federal government and from other counties in New York.

The New York State Corrections Commission told Clark on Tuesday that housing out-of-state prisoners like Klein was against state regulations and must stop. Clark said he had been told several years ago that it was legal.

Undersheriff Thomas Guthrie met today with State Corrections Commissioner Dan Stewart. Guthrie said he want to know if there was any way the county could legally take out-of-state prisoners.

“We like the income,� Guthrie said, adding the money offsets other costs.

Guthrie said he called Stewart in Albany but the commissioner came to the sheriff-jail facility. Stewart, unbeknownst to Guthrie, recently moved to Rockland.

“He told me there was no way it can be done,â€? Guthrie said. “We were under the impression for years we could do it if a judge signed an order. It’s a mistake. We will not do it again.â€?

See “O’Neill campaign”:http://www.oneilforsheriff.com/

See “Kralik campaign”:http://www.sheriffkralik.com/

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 of the NYS police from the rank of trooper through major.

In backing Zugibe, CSEA Region 3 President Diane Hewitt cited his “dedication to the labor movement and working families.”

Zugibe was previously endorsed by the leaders of the Rockland Patrolmen’s Benevolent Associations, along with the PBAs in Ramapo and Haverstraw. He has all PBAs in the county behind him. Three PBA presidents – Cyril Kerr of the county PBA, John Lawless of Haverstraw and Dennis Procter of Ramapo- have done ads broadcast on cable television for Zugibe.

 “I am honored to have the support of the CSEA,” Zugibe said in a news release. “The Civil Service Employees Association is an extraordinary union, representing dedicated, hard-working public employees, and I look forward to serving its membership as the next District Attorney of Rockland County.”

In endorsing Bongiorno, the New York State Troopers PBA leadership also added to the district attorney’s pro-law enforcement credentials.

“We need individuals like Michael Bongiorno in leadership positions to help law enforcement officers better serve the residents of New York State,” union president, Daniel M. De Federicis said. “Michael Bongiorno has proven himself as a tough prosecutor who makes special efforts to support and seek justice for crime victims.” De Federics said.

“His work over the years has complemented the work of the men and women who have dedicated their lives to law enforcement,” De Federics said. “He is well respected by not only the law enforcement community, but also by business owners and residents throughout the county.â€?

Bongiorno, already has been endorsed by the the New York State Police Investigators Association, the New York City Sergeants Benevolent Association, Rockland County Correction Officers Benevolent Association, Rockland County Sheriff’s Deputies Association, New York Supreme Court Officers Association, New York State Court Officers Association, Detectives’ Endowment Association, Westchester County Correction Officers Benevolent Association, the Sheriff’s Officers Association of Nassau County, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Employee Association, and the Suffolk County Correction Officers Association.

Learn more about Bongiorno at www.bongiorno2007.com/index.cfm

Learn more about  Zugibe at  www.zugibe4da.com.

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 Bongiorno’s store-front HQ is located next door to the pizzeria.

Bongiorno, a Republican, is being challenged by Democrat Thomas Zugibe, a former prosecutor and West Haverstraw village judge.

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, including crime reduction numbers in Rockland and their anti-crime programs and agencies.

Their e-mail includes praise from others, such as Brian Costello, president of the Rockland Correction Officers Benevolent Association, supporting Bongiorno’s work and former FBI Assistant Director James Kallstrum speaking highly of Kralik’s anti-terrorism efforts.

For more information on their positions and programs: www.SheriffKralik.com and www.Bongiorno2007.com 

Kralik is being challenged by Stony Point Councilman/Clarkstown Police Detective Tim O’Neill - www.oneilforsheriff.com

Bongiorno is being challenged by Democrat Tom Zugibe – www.zugibe4da.com

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 Gilbride, the special agent in charge of the New York Office of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, and members of the Rockland County Narcotics Task Force. The task force officers and DEA were recognized for breaking up the “Karnell Street Crew,”  which operated in  the Hillcrest-Spring Valley border and distributed cocaine bought in New York City.

William McMahon, a special agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, also was honored for the federal agency’s work investigating firearms and gangs in the Hudson Valley region.

The task force members honored were Director Joseph Tripodo (a state police captain), Assistant Director Russell Crawford, Detective Christopher Goldrick of the Rockland District Attorney’s Office, Detective Kevin Freeman of the Spring Valley Police Department, Detective Matt Ryder of the Orangetown Police Department, Task Force investigators Robert Fitzgerald from Ramapo Police Department, Timothy Hodges from Clarkstown Police Department, and several undercover investigators.

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 on charges of allowing drug dealing inside and other violations of the New York State Alcohol Beverage Control Act.

And the owners were warned if any alcoholic beverages were sold or brought into the bar, they would be arrested.

Some of the supposed owners just nodded, while others were not happy. The unhappy ones gave the impression they felt invaded by the handful of Spring Valley police officers, two State Liquor Authority investigators, three state Parole Division officers, the Sheriff’s Department’s gang expert assigned to the Rockland Intelligence Center, and other officers.

The police officers kept shaking their heads and laughing each time they entered each bar.

And that was because instead of seeing the usual dozens, if not hundreds of people drinking and dancing with women, the places were nearly empty. No one was shooting pool or dancing or sitting with women under the disco-type lights, they said. And many of the bars were freshly cleaned and napkins were folded on tables in some of the establishments that supposedly offered food. And some patrons, in several cases, were drinking water or other non-alcoholic drinks.

The lack of bar patrons became the night’s running joke among the officers, as was too much of a family atmosphere in places where police say fights routinely occur and prostitutes dance with men. And at closing time hundreds of people push out of the bars, sometimes still holding their bottles of beer, police said.

“Thursday night is one of the busiest nights here,” Spring Valley Police Officer Jim Noble said. “You cannot even move in some of these bars. But this. I don’t even feel like I am in Spring Valley right now. It’s surreal.”

Noble, a village cop for 13 years, and the other Spring Valley officers put up with friendly jabs from the other officers, several of whom also have experienced Spring Valley’s bar scene at night.

The bar owners knew they would be paid a visit Thursday night. Apparently, police said, SLA officials met with several lawyers for the liquor license holders/bar owners to explain that licenses would be suspended under the agency’s emergency powers act. Each bar can fight the suspensions at hearings, but until then cannot sell alcohol or allow alcoholic beverages in their establishments.

At LaFrontera on South Central Avenue, the officers arrived at the same time close to midnight as a white van filled with scantily dressed women, apparently from the Bronx, police said. The women were being brought into the bar to dance with the male patrons, police told me.

Less than a handful of men were inside the bar, where the disco-type lights were turned off.

Several of the women left the van and saw several large police officers standing at the front door, including a parole officer wearing a Capt. American jersey (in honor of Marvel Comics’ Nazi-fighter during World War II). They looked surprised and without comment went back into the van. The driver drove to another area of the parking lot to try and avoid the police (which didn’t work).

The driver eventually drove off and so did the police several minutes later – shutting down, for the most part, another bar for the time being.

The New York State Liquor Authority’s news release provided the following charges against the six Spring Valley bars:

El Valle Resturant, 137 North Main Street

The SVPD conducted an undercover sting operation at El Valle Restaurant on March 22, and March 23, 2007 during which SVPD agents were able to make six (6) separate purchases of cocaine from employees and patrons of the premises. On August 18, 2007, State Liquor Authority Investigators and SVPD officers conducted an inspection of the premises. The SLA subsequently charged the bar with seven violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law (“ABC Law�), including hiring unlicensed security guards, disorderly conduct for permitting drug activity, and failure to provide adequate supervision.

Palermo II Inc, 39 South Main Street

Over the course of a several month long investigation conducted by the SVPD – beginning in April, 2007 – undercover agents were able to make two (2) purchases of cocaine and one (1) purchase of marijuana from employees and patrons of the Palermo II at 39 South Main Street. SVPD undercover agents also observed numerous narcotics transactions occurring openly in the premises during that time. On August 17, 2007, the State Liquor Authority Investigators and SVPD officers conducted an inspection of the premises. The SLA charged the bar with 11 violations of the ABC Law, including hiring unlicensed security guards, disorderly conduct for permitting drug activity, and failure to provide adequate supervision. In addition, Palermo II Inc was previously charged by the SLA for disorderly premises, sale to a minor, and unlicensed security staff in July, 2006 – these additional matters are currently pending before the Authority.

Orgullo Guatemarteco Inc, 50 North Main Street

From April 6, 2007 to May 18, 2007, undercover agents of the SVPD were able to make two (2) separate purchases of cocaine and observe numerous additional narcotics transactions openly occurring in and around the Orgullo Guatemarteco at 50 North Main Street. On August 18, 2007, the State Liquor Authority Investigators and SVPD officers conducted an inspection of the premises. The SLA charged the establishment with 12 violations of the ABC Law, including selling alcohol to a minor, hiring unlicensed security guards, disorderly conduct for permitting drug activity, and failure to provide adequate supervision. The licensee was charged with violations pertaining to a disorderly premises and failure to notify the SLA of a change in facts in October 2003 and paid $2,000 in March 2004. The licensee was charged with violations of availing and refusal to appear in August 2004 and paid a $5,000 in November 2004. The licensee was also charged with selling to a minor on May 12, 2006.

La Frontera Inc, 18 South Central Avenue

On May 30, June 6 and August 25, 2007, SVPD officers observed a known convicted felon working at the bar. An undercover SVPD agent inside the premises observed a patron selling cocaine in the bathroom as well as in the bar area as well as several patrons using cocaine on the premises. The SLA charged La Frontera, Inc. with 14 violations of the ABC Law, including employment of a felon, permitting lewd and indecent conduct, disorderly conduct for permitting drug activity, and failure to provide adequate supervision. In addition, the licensee was charged with a sale to minor and disorderly premises in April 2007 and a sale to minor in July 2007. These matters are currently pending before the Authority.

El Palacio, 10 South Main Street

On August 18, 2007, an undercover SVPD agent made two purchases of cocaine from a patron inside the licensed premises. On September 2, 2007, the SVPD observed several males exit the licensed premises and appeared to be intoxicated. The SVPD determined that two of the males were 16 and 17 years of age and both males indicated that they were drinking alcohol inside the premises. In addition, the licensee was charged with failure to display the licensed in March 2007 and paid a $1,000 fine due on October 5, 2007. The SLA charged the establishment with 18 violations of the ABC Law, including permitting lewd and indecent conduct, hiring unlicensed security guards, disorderly conduct for permitting drug activity, and failure to provide adequate supervision.

B & J Tavern Inc, 55 North Myrtle Avenue

Over the course of several months, beginning in February, 2007, undercover agents of the SVPD were able to make three (3) separate purchases of cocaine from patrons at the B & J Tavern at 55 north Myrtle Avenue. The sales took place openly both inside and immediately outside of the premises and in the parking lot. On August 16, 2007, the State Liquor Authority Investigators and SVPD officers conducted an inspection of the premises. The SLA charged B & J Tavern, Inc. with 12 violations of the ABC Law, including disorderly conduct for permitting drug activity, failure to provide adequate supervision and for becoming a focal point for police attention.

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 be at the following locations:

Sunday, Sept. 23: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Town Clerk Mobile Office Day at the Nanuet Library, 149 Church St., Nanuet.
Saturday, Sept. 29: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the 4th Annual Suffern Day at the Suffern Athletic Fields, Ramapo Avenue, Suffern.

Operation SAFE CHILD provides parents or legal guardians with a card that includes their child’s/children vital information: date of birth, gender, height, weight, eye color, along with a photograph and fingerprint images of both index fingers.

Parents or guardians also can choose to have that vital information stored in a DCJS database; storage in the database is entirely voluntary and requires written consent of the parent or legal guardian. The cards are free.

If DCJS receives a missing child report, the fingerprints of that child will be included in a special search file and compared against all incoming fingerprints submitted to the agency.

Time is the greatest enemy if a child goes missing. Having up-to-date photographs and detailed information about a child can greatly assist law enforcement officials as they respond to a child’s disappearance.

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and its Missing and Exploited Children Clearinghouse partnered with the New York State Police, New York City Police Department, New York State Sheriffs’ Association and the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police to create Operation SAFE CHILD in 2005.

Since the program’s inception in July 2005 through July 2007, more than 165,000 children in New York State have been fingerprinted and photographed through Operation SAFE CHILD. More than 90 percent of families have requested that their children’s vital information be stored in the DCJS database.

DCJS partners with 38 law enforcement agencies across the state to offer Operation SAFE CHILD. For more information about Operation SAFE CHILD, call 1-800-FINDKID or visit www.operationsafechild.org