Trustees fund police program

VILLAGE OF LIVERPOOL – At its Nov. 20 meeting, the Village of Liverpool Board of Trustees approved the hiring of a public safety solutions company to supplement the administrative efforts of Liverpool Police Chief Jerry Unger and Sgt. Dave Sturtz.
The board – Mayor Stacy Finney and trustees Melissa Cassidy, Rachel Ciotti, Mike LaMontagne and Matt Devendorf – voted unanimously to hire a firm named Lexipol to oversee the Liverpool Police Department’s applications for NY state accreditation while assuring that the department remains in compliance with state-mandated standards.
The trustees agreed to pay Lexipol $29,772 for the first year, followed by an annual payment of $10,700.
In addition to its accreditation and policy services, Lexipol’s Cordico wellness plan provides a confidential program which supports the physical and mental health of law enforcement personnel and their families.
Headquartered in Frisco, Texas, Lexipol provides state-specific policies, accreditation support, online training, mobile wellness resources, grant services and industry news for law enforcement and local government agencies. Lexipol serves more than 4,500 agencies nationwide, representing more than 300,000 employees
New officer sworn in
For more than a year, the Liverpool Police Department has been critically under-staffed.
So when Joseph Ottaviano was sworn in as a full-time LPD officer at the opening of the village board meeting, his appearance was warmly welcomed by the trustees and by Unger.
After Finney conducted the ceremony, Cassidy looked Ottaviano in the eye and exclaimed, “Welcome to Liverpool, officer!”
Ottaviano relocated to Central New York after serving five years with the NYPD.
He will complete his field training here in mid-December when he will be able to cover shifts for the LPD.
Another applicant, Morgan Baumler, has also been hired by Unger, and is currently finishing his phase 2 training with the Camillus Police Department, set to be completed Dec. 5. After phase 2, Baumler will begin field training that will last until March. He’ll then be sworn in and start covering shifts in Liverpool.
“The addition of these two officers will bring the department to four full-time officers, still three short of the approved seven officers,” Unger said.
Two other applicants — Tisha Knickerbocker and Dallas Metcalfe — are presently undergoing background checks and training. Unger pointed out that an academy hosted by the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office will begin in February.
Eight accidents in October
At the village board’s monthly meeting on Nov. 20, Police Chief Jerry Unger reported via memo that his officers made 98 traffic stops and issued 78 citations for violations of the state’s vehicle and traffic laws in October. Three arrests were made of motorists charged with driving while intoxicated.
Eight accidents were investigated here last month. Officers made 39 residential checks and 106 business checks while responding to a total of 409 incidents and calls for service.
The LPD arrested 16 individuals last month on 25 criminal charges.