Update: Tax Board Chairman Judy Szewczyk posted the following message on our Facebook wall this morning:
“The (Tax Board) is for the K‑9 unit but we wanted more details and options before allocating the funds. We are trying very hard to meet all of the community’s needs AND keep a balanced budget. I wouldn’t be surprised if the (board) okays it next month. Also, if you check out the budget you will see that the City of Derby fully supports its excellent Police Department!”
Original post follows:
The city’s tax board last week opted not to fund a canine unit for the police department.
In July, after a rash of violence in the area of Hawkins and Seventh streets, police Chief Eugene Mascolo said the department was exploring the purchase of a canine to supplement patrols.
On Sept. 20, Deputy Chief Gerald Narowski appeared with Mayor Anthony Staffieri to ask the tax board for money, according to minutes from the meeting.
Narowski requested that the tax board allocate $23,520 for the canine program. However, tax board member Anita Dugatto felt the canine purchase was a “luxury,” according to meeting minutes.
Dugatto, James Butler, Frank Lazowski and Mark Nichols voted against the motion.
The minutes from the meeting are posted below. Article continues after the document.
When reached for comment Wednesday, Dugatto said the police dog issue was added to the tax board’s meeting at the last minute.
“Anytime that happens, I’m leary,” she said.
Dugatto said there were too many unanswered questions from the police department for her to support the initiative. She also wasn’t convinced spending the money for a dog would help police work in Derby.
“We didn’t have enough information,” she said. “I couldn’t ask taxpayers to for it.”
Dugatto said the Seymour Police Department recently raised money for their canine unit.
“Let’s get creative,” Dugatto said. “Why do taxpayers have to pay for everything?”
The tax board’s lack of funding for the police dog was also raised at last week’s Derby Board of Aldermen meeting.
Staffieri was disappointed the money wasn’t approved. Staffieri said a canine would help police do their job.
“Just about all of the towns around us have one,” he said.
And they pay off in situations where the dogs are used, Staffieri said.
“When a dog comes in to the scene, instead of being confrontational, [a criminal] will want to run away,” he said.
In Derby, the fire department and EMS have access to a search dog. David Lenart, an Alderman, is the dog’s handler.
Lenart said a police dog is worth the investment.
“It’s another tool for the police department to use. You can’t look at it like ‘Shouldn’t they use the money to hire another police officer?’ It’s not a fair comparison,” Lenart told the Valley Indy.
According to the minutes, the failed motion at the tax board meeting was worded as follows:
“A MOTION by Mr. Butler to approve an expenditure for $23,520.00 for the police program taken from the special working balance 8400 – 390-0391, to be dealt with again at the next tax board meeting and contingent that there is no action needed by the Board of Aldermen …”
The tax board, however, did leave the door open for the police department to come back with additional information, Dugatto said.
Police Activity
At last week’s Board of Aldermen meeting, Narowski said the downtown area has kept the department busy in recent weeks.
“There’s still lots of activity and we are making a lot of arrests there,” he told the aldermen. “We are handling each one on a case-by-case basis as they come.”
Alderman Barbara DeGennaro asked Narowski to provide the board with a report each month on how many arrests are made city-wide.
“I’m hearing a lot of activity on the police scanner and know there’s activity around Hawkins Street area,” she said. Narowski said those statistics will be provided to the board beginning in October.
