Sheriff’s Department to have office in Hampton

The Washington County Sheriff’s Department plans to open a station in Hampton later this year.

Supervisor Dave O’Brien said the sheriff’s office will occupy a small office in the town hall and will use the space to meet with local residents and perform other administrative tasks while officers are on patrol in the area.

He said the department will begin utilizing the space this spring.

Town officials and members of the sheriff’s department have been discussing the possible arrangement for several months after O’Brien asked Sheriff Jeff Murphy about the possibility of increasing law enforcement in the area.

He expressed concerns about speeding on Route 22A and said Hampton’s proximity to Vermont coupled with the fact that the nearest law enforcement agency (the NYS Troopers barrack in North Granville) is at least 15 minutes away makes local residents more susceptible to home burglaries.

“Hopefully a car parked out front will be a deterrent,” O’Brien said.

Drug trafficking is also a concern. The Route 4 corridor has long been used by drug dealers to transport drugs back and forth across state lines but as law enforcement has begun to crack down, the traffic has shifted to alternative routes like Route 22A.

The town and the sheriff’s office are expected evaluate the arrangement in several months and decide whether to continue the service.

 

Dog Control Officer

The town’s long search for a dog control officer finally came to an end last week after the board appointed Larry Carman to the position last week.

Carman, who works for Manchester Newspapers and breeds dogs in Middle Granville, was one of two candidates who were interviewed during last week’s monthly board meeting.

He is a retired manager for Verizon and said he has been handling dogs for 25 years.

“It’s a passion,” Carman said. “I have a good rapport with dogs and think I would be good for the community/”

Carman will be responsible for responding to dog-related complaints and O’Brien said he would like to have an enumeration of all the dogs in the community done at some point this year.

The town has been without a dog control officer for several months. O’Brien has filled the position during that time.

Residents seeking to contact Carman can reach him at 926-9753.

 

Tea Party rallies against Article 21

Three members of the Washington County Tea Party spoke against Agenda 21 at the beginning of last week’s meeting.

Agenda 21 is a non-binding, voluntarily implemented action plan by the United Nations with regard to sustainable development. The plan can be implemented by governments at the local, national and global levels.

Members of the local Tea Party have been attended meetings in eight different communities as well as the Washington County Board of Supervisors speaking against the plan, which they say will decrease private ownership of land, increase gas and food prices and control family sizes.

The plan has been roundly criticized by conservative groups and Glenn Beck recently co-authored a book that examines what the United States would be like if the agenda was implemented here.

 

The next meeting will be held at 7:30 on April 17.