BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI
North Country This Week

MASSENA — Some village officials are calling into question why so many village owned vehicles are taken home by employees every night.

The discussion ensued during the Board of Trustees May 17 meeting, with both Deputy Mayor Matt LeBire and Trustee Francis Carvel wondering why seven to eight vehicles are taken home on a nightly basis by village employees.

Following discussion, a committee was established to further review policy and requirements related to the subject.

Carvel and LeBire both contend these actions raise the cost of liability insurance for the village, as officials continue to look for ways to trim the budget.

“I said it before but we really need to be mindful of the liability with so many vehicles going home at night. I don’t think there is a need for so many to go home at night, no other municipality does this,” Carvel said.

According to Carvel, after consulting with local municipalities and officials in Potsdam, Canton, Ogdensburg and Gouverneur, only Canton allows for one vehicle to be taken home, Carvel said.

The conversation then took a turn to the police department, with Carvel and LeBire calling into question the need for each detective to have a vehicle at home.

“I don’t see the need for five police vehicles to go home every night. Three, maybe four, for the chief, lieutenant and a detective, maybe two, but that’s it,” LeBire added.

Police Chief Jason Olson pushed back on the argument, saying he needed to ensure he, his lieutenant and three detectives could report to a crime quickly.

“If we have an active shooter, a murder, an armed robbery, we need to be able to respond as quickly as possible. If we have a vehicle at home, we have our evidence kit, our response gear. We have everything we need in the vehicle, short of our weapons. And the time we save by having our vehicles at home can make a huge difference,” Olson said.

From 2018 until the end of 2021, the Massena police department has seen a 47% rise in crime, with a 76% rise between 2020 and 2021 alone, according to Olson. MPD responded to nearly 9,000 calls for service in 2021.

Olson also said it was a matter of who may be able to report to a scene, noting not every detective would be immediately available at all times.

“It is purely situational, there is no cookie cutter answer I can give for the situation,” Olson said.

LeBire then asked if the few minutes it might take to report to the station would make a big difference.

“If you had to come to the station, grab your gear and take a vehicle from there, would the five minutes really make a big difference? I don’t see how one or two less vehicles at home can make such a big difference,” LeBire said.

“Yes, it absolutely can make a difference, because we don’t know when these incidents will occur or what sort of incidents will occur. So we need to ensure we are prepared and able to be on scene as quickly as possible,” Olson said.

LeBire continued, asking why it would be necessary for so many vehicles to be off the premises at a time when regular patrols are also in the community, along with numerous other policing agencies including Border Patrol, State Police and various federal agencies.

“Where are they? Look at where they live compared to where we live. We are in the best position to respond quickly,” Olson said.

“If we have a case, like we did not long ago, with an active shooter and a manhunt, if we can have multiple vehicles converging from different directions, it may make a huge difference in the situation,” Olson continued.

Trustee Chad Simpson supported the choice to have five police vehicles available at officer’s homes, saying Olson would know better than the board what is necessary for public safety.

“He is the operational expert, he knows what is needed for the safety of the community,” Simpson said.

Trustee Francis Carvel contended the choice is one between liability and public safety, something that would require further discussion before a policy could be implemented.

Carvel also inquired about the potential for an officer to use a vehicle for a personal errand.

“If an officer takes a vehicle home at night, do they use it for any personal tasks? Because that would just add to the liability,” Carvel asked.

“None at all, police vehicles are strictly used for official duty only. We require our officers to sign agreements acknowledging what they can and cannot use a vehicle for,” Olson said.

“I think what we need to do is consider the policy for other departments like DPW versus what the police may require and make the changes all at once. These are very different situations with different needs, especially with our police department,” Mayor Greg Paquin said.

Other departments, like the Department of Public Works, also have light duty vehicles that may be taken home on occasion, though it is less frequent than the police department, officials say.

“I will say, I have seen village vehicles in locations I would never expect to see them. That is something we really need to consider, especially if we have Enterprise manage our fleet of vehicles,” LeBire said.

The committee, consisting of Trustees Simpson and Carvel, will bring their findings to the next board meeting in June.