At their August 20 meeting, the Town of Crawford board unanimously approved three appointments to the town police department. The board officially added two highly-decorated part-time officers and a specialized part-time dispatcher to the local force.

Officer Edward J. Stackpole is a retired New York City police department detective. He is an alumnus of Pine Bush High School and an honorable veteran of the United States Air Force. Officer Arthur McMahon is also a retired NYPD detective who holds a distinguished record of military service, having served in both the United States Air Force and United States Navy.

Joining the communications division, Piper R. Taylor is a graduate of Valley Central High School. She earned a Bachelor of Technology degree in Criminal Justice from SUNY Morrisville.

A formal memo from Chief Dominick Blasko strongly recommended these hires. Following an enthusiastic introduction by Town Supervisor Charles Carnes, Town Clerk Jessica Kempter administered the official oath of office before families, residents, and fellow officers. The board emphasized that embedding such seasoned veterans significantly elevates the town’s law enforcement infrastructure.

Police and EMS Reports

The police department also offered their July report.

Officers managed 2,079 calls for July (counting every dispatch, resident request, or officer-initiated stop during the month) while the department fleet logged a total of 6,512 patrol miles across the township.

Twenty-four adult arrests (153 in the year to date (YTD)) and one juvenile arrest (6 YTD) were made. Legal breakdown of arrests included one violation, 15 misdemeanors, zero felonies, 6 DWI offenses, and 8 critical mental health interventions.

Speeder and aggressive drivers took a hit as officers issued 317 traffic tickets (2,082 YTD), this including 83 citations for speeding and 44 for aggressive driving. Thirteen motor vehicle accidents were documented, with 12 resulting strictly in property damage, one involving personal injury, and zero fatalities.

The Town of Crawford Ambulance Corps reported that out of 102 calls for service, the Corps successfully responded to 97 calls – achieving a 95% response coverage rate. Five calls had no crew available, and three calls required the team to be on standby.

Municipal logs revealed that 75 calls originated within the Town of Crawford, 18 in Ulster County, 4 in Sullivan County, 3 in The Town of Montgomery, 0 in Wallkill, and 2 in Ellenville. The corps executed 10 advanced life support (ALS) transport and 62 basic life support (BLS) transports. Twelve patients safely exercised medical refusal, and 10 calls were canceled enroute.

The ambulance corps also reported that they are currently drafting a procurement strategy to replace an aging 2003 Ford ambulance.

Building and Planning Department

Crawford's building department generated $24,935 in revenue for July, marking a substantial and compounding increase over July of the previous fiscal year. The office issued 39 building permits, granted 23 certificates of occupancy (COs), and conducted 83 structural inspections.

The code enforcement office successfully processed 16 complaints and 15 violations. Supervisor Carnes praised the staff for handling the heavy administrative workload, noting that local development shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.

Events

This meeting transitioned into a celebration of Crawford's community identity, kicking off with a high praise for the monumental success of the recent Crawford Night Out, which was wrapped up with a fireworks display. Board members declared it “the best night out the town has ever hosted.”

A local resident who identified himself as James raised questions regarding a scheduled Route 52 closure on Saturday, September 19, which overlaps directly with the highly anticipated Harvest Festival and the Farmer's Market.

The board and police command immediately reassured the public that a traffic diversion plan is already locked in. Regular commuter and festival traffic will seamlessly route around Main Street via local detours, and 18-wheelers will be restricted from entering the center of the hamlet during peak festival hours.

Police officials joked that any vendors arriving at 6 a.m. would receive personal assistance from the department to unload their produce.