Constables: community peace officers on patrol

Faces of our local forces

By SANDY LONG

ELDRED AND GLEN SPEY, NY — When it comes to keeping the peace, residents of the Town of Highland and the Town of Lumberland count on their constables.

Domestic incidents, verbal warnings, arrests, felonies, citations, missing person searches, burglar alarms, items in the roadway, campground patrols, tax collection escort, noise complaints, trespassing, neighbor feuds, dog complaints, motor vehicle accidents—constables tackle all of these and more.

Law enforcement in rural towns such as Highland and Lumberland poses certain challenges, but also provides increased opportunities to connect with those communities. “You can help people and they come to know you. You’re a name, not just a uniform or a car. We can take the time to spend a little time with the people,” said James Thompson, chief administrative constable for the Town of Lumberland.

The two towns share a mutual-aid agreement that increases the peace-keeping possibilities for both. Following the “closest car concept,” constables from either town can be called upon to cover or to assist in a situation occurring in the neighboring town.

They also assist the National Park Service (NPS) by providing law enforcement services along the river corridor from May 1 through September 30. The NPS reimburses the towns for these services, and while NPS park rangers take primary responsibility for policing the waterways, the constables police the land. “We all work together,” said Michael Walton, chief constable for the Town of Highland.

Constables in both towns routinely patrol their communities, perform residence checks for absentee homeowners and monitor public areas to maintain security. They work cooperatively with the Sullivan County Sheriffs Department and the New York State Police. And they are authorized to carry weapons of deadly force.

All of the men are part-time employees and work other law enforcement jobs. It’s one of the challenges in rural law enforcement to find enough professionals to fill the hours. Thompson describes the work as “a part-time job with full-time responsibilities.”

The Town of Lumberland currently has five constables, while the Town of Highland has six. Each town attempts to cover as many hours as possible, with increased emphasis on weekends, when local populations swell with tourists and second homeowners. The town budgets limit the hours of coverage.

Another challenge relates to the geology of the rural landscape and its effect on the transmission of communication signals. “Radio communications are tough here,” said Thompson. “There are pockets where signals just don’t reach.”

Constables from both towns make it a point to get to know community members as they complete patrols and participate in community events. Walton, who came from a large community on Long Island, likes the familiarity and closeness that he’s become a part of here. “My three boys go to school here,” he said. “I like having the opportunity to keep an eye on what’s going on in the town, while helping to keep my kids safe.”

Thompson, who relocated from Warwick, also enjoys being a recognized force in the community. “Ninety percent of what patrol officers do is deal with non-criminal complaints,” said Thompson. “You’ll never know what you might have prevented by simply driving down a street.”

Getting help

• When calling for police assistance, always dial 911 in an emergency.

• If your situation is not an emergency, but is time-dependent, call 911. Calls left on the constables’ answering machine may not be received until a later time, since the constables are often on patrol and might not be available to check the machine right away.

• Calls that are not an emergency, and are not time-dependent, can be left as a message on the answering machine.

• Highland: 845/557-3489

• Lumberland: 845/557-856-5716