When Lewiston Police Chief Chris Salada and Sgt. Frank Previte took issue with the Niagara Falls Reporter's coverage of Lewiston resident Ron Craft's petition to eliminate their department, they left out one crucial detail.
Even if there wasn't a Lewiston Police Department, there would still be the Lewiston Town Court system, and no matter what police department made a non-felony arrest, wrote a moving violation or gave out a parking ticket, they would still be prosecuted by the local judiciary.
The revenue thus generated would still go into the town's general fund.
Certainly Salada and Previte are not trying to say that there would be no more non-felony arrests, traffic and parking enforcement without their police cruisers on the roads of Lewiston?
As we've pointed out previously, the Niagara County Sheriff's Department, New York State Police, state parks police, and U.S. Border Patrol all have the power to enforce laws in Lewiston. They do so all the time.
In fact it might be interesting to find out what percentage of the $372,000 Lewiston took in as fines and forfeited bail in 2013 was generated by Lewiston officers and how much was brought in by the efforts of cops from the other agencies?
It can certainly be debated whether or not Lewiston needs 19 police officers, two cars and all that goes with it- which includes, of course, the long term legacy costs of pensions to be paid for years down the road.
What cannot be debated is that the municipality would save possibly a $1 million or more a year by eliminating the department.
And the revenue generated from the prosecution of minor offenses would change little if at all.
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