Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Local police tell accountability board they monitor protests, but federal agencies don’t always notify them
Summary
Local law-enforcement leaders told the Dutchess County Police Accountability Board they perform extra patrols for protests and monitor social media but said federal agencies such as ICE, DEA and FBI do not reliably notify local departments when operating, limiting formal cooperation.
The Dutchess County Police Accountability Board opened its Jan. 12 meeting with briefings from local law-enforcement leaders who described how they have responded to recent protest activity and how communication with federal agencies typically works.
The board's chair asked the agencies to identify themselves before the update; Lieutenant Greg McCray of the City of Cambridge Police Department said his officers sometimes “hear about it just like everybody else” via social media but that the department conducts extra patrols when it becomes aware of planned protests. “We do extra patrols,” McCray said.
Major Jeff Piscat (Arlotte Police Department) and a representative identified as Major John Stitchbury of the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office also spoke. They said local and state agencies maintain regular communication among themselves but that federal agencies — named during discussion as DEA, FBI and ICE — historically do not share operational notifications consistently with local partners. “Whenever we had the feds get involved… they don’t communicate well,” one agency representative said.
Board members pressed whether local officers would assist federal agents if a small federal operation encountered a large, potentially hostile crowd. According to McCray, local officers’ immediate goal would be to “keep the peace” and protect people and property; he said arrests tied to federal operations typically require federal requests or legal authority. “We’re gonna keep the peace,” he said.
Members raised scenarios in which rapid social-media mobilization could draw hundreds of people to local sites within minutes, and the chair asked whether there is a protocol for notification and mutual aid; law-enforcement representatives reiterated they will not proactively assist in federal arrests unless asked but will maintain public safety and protect personnel.
The chair thanked the officials for their time and said the board would pass any notable concerns on to the county council. No formal action was taken during the discussion.
