Police made too many arrests’

Press, 16 July 1983, Page 10

Police made too many arrests’

NZPA Hannibal Both members of the Hannibal, New York, parttime police force have been sacked, in part for making too many arrests, says the new mayor, who campaigned on a promise to axe the officers.

“They had kind of a reputation for being a little petty,” said the Mayor, Mr Paul Scott, elected last month by a vote of 118-112. But Chief Carter Downer said that both he and his deputy, William Schultz, acted professionally. Mr Downer, a former Marine Corps military police officer, said that he might sue to get his job back. Mr Scott carried out his promise to dismiss both officers, whom he said were hired when the department was formed about a year ago. Businesses complained that customers were avoiding the Oswego county village, population 680, because they were afraid of being arrested for anything from violating the 30 m.p.h. speed limit to drunken driving. “I lost a lot of business,” said Lucille O’Connor, owner of the Hannibal Hotel bar and restaurant. “If the customers were in here, they didn’t want to go out.” Mr Scott said that he wants one strictly part-time officer — a lifelong resident of the village, somebody that knows the rest of the villagers better and can have a rapport with them.