Detectives shortage amid homicides

Kingston Police Department relinquished control of homicide probe because of ‘manpower and caseload’

KINGSTON, N.Y. » For the first time in recent memory, the Kingston Police Department has relinquished control over a homicide investigation.

Police Chief Egidio Tinti said that as far as he is aware, the shooting death of a 12-year-old girl in Midtown Thursday is the first case turned over to another agency, which is the state police.

This is the fifth homicide in the city since October 2019. Only one of those has resulted in an indictment.

“This the first case (that I’m aware of) that has been turned over to the state police,” Tinti said in an email. “We have a great working relationship with them and the surrounding law enforcement agencies.”

Still, the Kingston Police Department normally investigates city homicides and other major cases.

Last week, Detective Lt. Thierry Croizer head of the Detective Division, said the case was passed to state police because “between manpower and caseload, we’re greatly appreciative of their aid in this.”

Tinti said that Crozier referred to the number of detectives.

“Lt. Croizer mentioned manpower because we currently have 71 budgeted (sworn) positions,” Tinti said in his email. “Of that number, we have three detectives that will be retiring in January and February. All three detectives are using their accrued time off until their retirement date in 2021.”

“That reduces the number of detectives we have available for cases,” Tinti added. “A police officer was promoted to fill one of those vacancies but that won’t take effect until the first week of January. The other two will not be promoted until late February.”

Tinti said that the department is taking other steps.

“We are in the process of replacing the current and upcoming police officer vacancies,” Tinti added. “But some of the police candidates need to attend the police academy before they can work in patrol and the police academy is only held in the January to July or the July to December timeframe. “

Tinti said there are three candidates entering the police academy in January.

“None of those candidates will count towards the staffing levels until they graduate in July,” Tinti said. “Then they have 12 weeks of field training to complete. “

Tinti said that in addition, the department has one officer out of wok on a long-term injury and one out on a short term injury.

Tinti pointed out that homicide investigations require much time.

“Each of those cases require 100s of hours of investigative work (technology, interviews, etc.),” Tinti said. “That is in addition to the non-violent cases handled by the detectives (larcenies, fraud, burglary, etc.).”