Police department ends year with surplus
The Saugerties Police Department ended the fiscal year with a surplus in its budget.
The Saugerties Police Department generated more than $171,000 in revenues in 2018 and ended the fiscal year with a surplus in its budget, the chief says.
In a 2018 year-end report, Chief Joseph Sinagra said his department had a budget of $2,568,939 and generated $171,249.98 in revenues. The department’s expenses amounted to $2,708,630.28, leaving $31,558.70 in surplus, he said. Sinagra said it was the sixth year in a row his department has ended in the black.
Sinagra said his department in 2012 began an “aggressive campaign” of backcharging for services rendered that were outside the scope of normal policing. That practice created several new revenue streams by charging for things like police services at road races and festivals, as well as impound storage fees and nuisance alarms, he said.
“As a result, the police department has achieved revenues that have negated over expenditures, providing a surplus returnable to the town’s general fund each year since 2012,” the chief wrote. He said his department has generated an additional $364,090.12 in surplus revenues over the past six years.
In other information outlined in the report, Sinagra said his department handled 24,597 blotter complaints in 2018, up from 21,973 the year before. The department also made 515 arrests, down from 539 the prior year.
Of the arrests made in 2018, 80 were for felonies, 189 were for misdemeanors, and the remainder were for violations.
The department also issued 1,984 traffic tickets last year, up from 1,857 the year before. It issued 1,594 parking tickets, up from 1,451.
Of the 634 motor vehicle crashes the department handled, 78 involved injuries and 555 damaged only property. There were no fatal crashes, and only one pedestrian was struck in 2018, according to the report. The department in recent years has stepped up its effort to reduce the number of motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians.
Going forward, Sinagra said, his department will continue to improve the quality of its services through advanced training and technology. He also said the department continues to maintain its designation as a New York State Accredited Law Enforcement Agency.
Additionally, the department will offer the community an opportunity to participate in a Citizen Police Academy this fall, a first for Saugerties police, Sinagra said. He said the 10-week course is free and will provide condensed versions of actual police training.