Oneonta Police seek surveillance camera help in SUNY investigation As its investigation into last week’s death of a SUNY student continues, the Oneonta Police Department released a statement Wednesday, February 2, asking city residents in certain neighborhoods with surveillance cameras to check their devices for possible sightings of 20-year-old Tyler Lopresti-Castro. The statement reads: “At this time, the Oneonta Police Department is seeking assistance from those members of the public who may have surveillance cameras covering the center-city streets west…
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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…
Police review leaves behind serious debates By KEVIN LIMITI • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com Oneonta’s Common Council will likely meet its self-imposed June 1, deadline to review, and change or adopt, the city’s Community Advisory Board’s recommendations for the Oneonta Police Department, Mayor Gary Herzig said Tuesday, May 17. Among the topics being discussed are the status of no-knock raids in Oneonta, making statistics of crime and arrests available to the public and a review board to examine the high number…
Oneonta Prepares To Hire Most Officers in Memory Action On Common Council Agenda By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – Common Council is expected to hire seven new police officers – the largest class in memory – when it meets by Zoom at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Mayor Gary Herzig confirmed today. After a one-year hiatus due to COVID, “we had one of the best and most successful recruitments, the highest-quality candidates,” the mayor said. “…While we only have…
Nine-Member OPD Deficit May Complicate Implementation Of CAB Recommendations By CHRYSTAL SAVAGE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – Following the murder of George Floyd in May of last year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo instructed the implementation of Community Advisory Boards to help reform police departments across the state. The Oneonta CAB consists of four subcommittees: What Functions Should the Police Perform, Employing Smart and Effective Policing Standards and Strategies, Fostering Community Oriented Leadership, Culture and Accountability and Recruiting and Supporting Excellent…
CLICK HERE TO FULL OUT SURVEY Oneonta Police Review Seeking Public Inputs By MIKE FORSTER ROTHBART • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – An Oneonta police reform committee is soliciting public input via an online survey and through a public meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m., according to a City of Oneonta news release. The anonymous survey has 23 questions related to residents’ experiences with the City of Oneonta Police Department. Click here to participate.…
LETTER from DAVID RISSBERGER Citizens Can Expected Action On City Policing To the Editor: In light of recent national and local events, I feel compelled to speak out regarding the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25. As I’d like to believe most civilized people would be, I was horrified and appalled to watch the barbaric treatment of Mr. George Floyd as he was being arrested by the Minneapolis police department. Police officers take an oath…
Crash Slows Traffic At Main, Gault…