FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE04-29
June
3, 2004
Contact:
Ian Michaels
(718) 595-6600
Public
Meeting at DEP Police 2nd Precinct in Beerston
Meeting
to Lead to Better Understanding Between DEP Police and Local
Residents
Commissioner Christopher O. Ward of the New York City Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced today that the DEP
will hold a public meeting at the DEP Police’s new precinct
house in Beerston, Town of Walton, Delaware County, on June 9 at
10:00 A.M.
“This is a great chance for Delaware County residents to
become more familiar with the DEP Police, our mission and our people,” said
Commissioner Ward. “At the same time, we welcome the opportunity
to learn more about the concerns of local residents and ways that
we can serve them better. There is no overriding agenda for the
meeting – the purpose is to get to know the local people
who the DEP Police are sworn to protect, and to help them get to
know us.”
Police Chief Ed Welch will be on hand, as will representatives
from the Detective Bureau, Intelligence Division, Canine Unit,
Emergency Services Unit, Scuba Unit and Special Operations Division
assigned to the 2nd Precinct in Beerston.
The DEP Police has over 200 environmental police officers serving
in New York City and nine watershed counties. Charged primarily
with protecting the water supply that nine million New Yorkers
rely on every day, the DEP Police also supplement local police
agencies in their day-to-day activities of community service and
public protection.
In 2003 alone, DEP Police were called upon over 250 times to
assist other police agencies in the City’s watershed. They
also responded to over 300 traffic accidents and aided in 97 incidents
where medical assistance was necessary. This was in addition to
almost 700 environmental complaints they investigated while performing
their main duties of protecting the water supply that half the
state depends on every day.
The DEP opened a new precinct and a new police training center
in Beerston in December 2003. The Stephen J. King Environmental
Police Training Facility is the first of its kind in the nation
to focus on the environmental policing and infrastructure protection
issues which are unique to the New York City water supply. The
center includes classrooms, a woodland studies area, an environmental
investigations practical training field, environmental staging
areas, wilderness trails, an off-road emergency vehicle operators
course and police firing ranges. The facility will also be available
for practical exercises for local, state and federal emergency
first responders.