New Oneonta police chief ‘humbled’ by role By KEVIN LIMITI • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com The Oneonta Police Department has a new chief of police, Christopher Witzenberg, who has a long history of serving in leadership roles. Witzenberg was previously an OPD lieutenant and became acting chief after Doug Brenner retired last winter. “It’s humbling,” Witzenberg said. “I’ve been pretty pensive the last week about the things I’ve done to get here.”…
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Common Council holds public hearing on police report By KEVIN LIMITI • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA — The Common Council held a public hearing for the long anticipated vote on the Community Advisory Board Review Committee report Tuesday, Sept. 21, created in response to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s directive that police departments create a document of “best practices” by local law enforcement with input from the community. Only two people spoke at the public hearing, both of whom were supportive…
Oneonta’s review board gets hung up on ‘use of force’ language By KEVIN LIMITI • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA — Members of the Community Advisory Board Review Council, which includes mayoral candidates Mark Drnek and Len Carson, discussed some of the language pertaining to the Community Advisory Board document on “best practices” for the Oneonta Police Department. However, ultimately it was decided there would need to be another meeting in two weeks to further discuss what is being put in…
Community Advisory Board document on OPD best practices set to be reviewed By KEVIN LIMITI• Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA — A committee including mayoral candidates Mark Drnek and Len Carson approved final changes to the Community Advisory Board police review document, which will sent back to the original CAB members followed by a public hearing. The process should take about a month to complete, according to city officials. The Community Advisory Board met Tuesday, July 13, at City Hall to…
City of the Hills OPD investigating graffiti at Neahwa Park The Oneonta Police Department is investigating hateful graffiti in Neahwa Park that read “Black Lives Splatter” and “White Lives Matter.” “It’s hateful, it’s sad and it’s repulsive,” Mayor Gary Herzig said. “We need to all do what we can to express that we don’t tolerate that here. That type of hateful graffiti is not common in Oneonta. That said, no community is immune to it. There are hateful people in…
Alleged Halloween party stabber appears in court By KEVIN LIMITI• Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com COOPERSTOWN – An Oneonta man, whose violent altercation in Unadilla ended in a stabbing and the victim having to be taken by helicopter to a medical facility, appeared in Otsego County court Monday, May 24, to face charges of assault in the first and second degree. Richard Gantt voluntarily agreed to be interviewed by state police, according to testimony. “I was called because it was a serious…
Public Weighs Meaning Of Killing, Mayor Says As Oneonta Waits, AG To Investigate By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com Not only has a police shooting made history in Oneonta, it’s making statewide history, too. A new department in the state Attorney General’s Office, the Office of Special Investigations, created by Executive Order 147 after George Floyd’s death last May 25, opened its door on April 1, according to Sofia Quintanar, the AG’s deputy press secretary. The office is empowered…
EDITORIAL After Police Shooting, Public Shows Sensible Restraint In an era when everyone rushes to judgment about everything, it’s reassuring to see the sensible, restrained comments on www.AllOTSEGO.com to last week’s police shooting of Tyler Johnson, 23, of 48 River St., during a domestic dispute. “I’m not saying the cop was wrong,” said one commentator. “The guy had a knife and was grabbing for the woman, then the kid. He even stabbed her in the leg. It’s a sad situation,…
7 New OPD Officers Set To Take Oath En Masse ONEONTA – After Common Council approval Tuesday evening, the Oneonta Police Department’s new class of six men and one woman – a record seven – will be sworn by Mayor Gary Herzig at 10 a.m. next Monday, the 22nd, in an open-air ceremony in Neahwa Park, City Hall confirmed this morning. The new officers are Michael Angellotti, Christian Cooper, Bryce Kohout, Michael Pedulla, Carson Pochkar, Thomas Steinberg and Karolina Stypulkowski.…
Beware Of Phone Scams, Oneonta Police Advising ONEONTA – The Oneonta Police Department is warning residents of “numerous phone scams” reported locally. They include: • A caller purportedly from the Social Security Office advises you your Social Security number has been compromised. You are then asked for personal information, including bank information, and – eventually – to send money.…