WEST ONEONTA -- The Oneonta Town Board is considering converting its constabulary into a police department, Supervisor Robert Wood said recently. The matter will be discussed at a public safety meeting in Town Hall in West Oneonta at 3 p.m. July 9.
Wood said board members will discuss a proposal on the mechanics of converting to a police department.
The town has one full-time constable, Jeffrey Robinson.
The town budgets $75,000 for its constable's office. Two part-time constables are also included in the budget, but the positions have not been filled since the firings of Anthony Natalini and Scott Harrington in 2010.
The two former constables filed a wrongful termination claim against the town alleging their firings were because of their union activities.
Harrington and Natalini had organized under the Teamsters Union.
On Wednesday, Wood said the improper practice grievance filed against the town still is pending with the Public Employment Relations Board.
Testimony has been given in the case, he said, and a response may be released after August.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Criminal Justice Services is discouraging constabularies, Wood said, and the training for police officers is different than that for constables. Also, with a police department, the town would gain eligibility for certain grants, he said.
The town board considers coverage by the Oneonta Police Department an intriguing idea but isn't considering it an option because of the cost, Wood said.
The meeting July 9 is open to the public, Wood said.
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