Gov’s posing, police rivalry hurt search
THE massive manhunt for two escaped murderers from the Dannemora prison has been hampered by State Police secrecy, interagency rivalries, and the disrupting involvement of Gov. Cuomo on the first day of the breakout, lawenforcement sources have told The Post.
Cuomo’s surprise arrival at a stillunfolding escape scene a week ago Saturday generated considerable national publicity for the governor, but distracted investigators at a time when the full facts of the escape were not yet known, the sources said.
“Cuomo actually disrupted the early search efforts when he arrived at the ‘ command center’ on Saturday and refused to enter the room until everyone was removed except state employees,’’ said a longtime lawenforcement figure who has regular contact with many involved in the search effort.
“Cuomo’s aides came in and threw out the US marshal, the sheriff [ David Favro, like Cuomo a Democrat] and others who were there to help coordinate the search effort.
“And they did it without even saying ‘ Thanks for your help,’ or such, just, ‘ Get out so his highness can enter.’
“The State Police are trying to make sure that they’re the ones to catch these guys, that they get all the credit, and as a result, they’re not making full use of the assets that are available to them,’’ the source continued.
Several sources said they believe Cuomo had subsequently given orders that he be allowed to rush to the Dannemora area to take part in any press conference if the fugitives are caught.
The sources, meanwhile, said the State Police, the lead agency, had repeatedly refused to share information on the design and scope of the manhunt with the local police, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, the state Correctional Services Department and the state Environmental Conservation Department, whose police officers are part of the search, as well as the US Marshals Service.
Just a few days ago, a potentially dangerous confrontation was narrowly avoided when a group of heavily armed State Police troopers combing the woods near Willsboro unexpectedly came upon several members of a Correctional Services emergencyresponse team emerging from a patch of forest, startling them.
“One team didn’t know what the other team was doing, and that is very dangerous,’’ said a source familiar with the incident.
A prison guard source called the situation “a total cluster fk.”
Less serious but nevertheless significantly demoralizing was the failure of the State Police to invite another police agency to a highprofile press conference, although that agency is fully involved in the manhunt, the sources said.