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Racino Security
Local journalist, fireworks advocate, and my occasional drinking buddy Kyle York addressed the City Council at their meeting last night with concerns about the amount of funding requested by Commissioner of Public Safety Ron Kim to cover police overtime at the Racino. Public Safety officials have said the overtime is necessary following the withdrawal of the New York State Police.
Kyle stated last night (and has since told me in greater detail) that most other gambling facilities have ten uniformed security officers working the floor. Kyle objected to the fact that city officers were used to patrol the Racino, when, in his estimation, private security should handling security.
Although we covered the issue when it first broke, Kyle's comments and subsequent emails led me to investigate a little more. It turns out, according to Commissioner Kim and Chief of Police Edward Moore, that city police officers do not regularly patrol the racino, but instead respond on as-needed basis to back up private security and file charges. While private security can legally detain an out-of-control patron, they can't file formal charges. Coincidentally, some of the security officers at the racino are retired SSPD officers.
In addition, if there is a large crowd, an officer might be detailed to walk through the facility as part of a regular patrol before proceeding with other operations. In cases of special events or exceptionally large crowds, Moore said officers might be sent to the Racino to back up private security, just as they do at the track during the racing season. And this is where the overtime issues -- and presumably, Kyle's objections -- arise.
But if you ask me, the money is well spent. Here's why:
The only difference between this function, and the police's service at the track (police control large crowds of people) is that the Racino pumps a large amount of money into the city, to the tune of $3.4 million, or ten percent of the city's budget. Saratoga Springs doubtless had a sweet deal when we were getting all that money and investing relatively little in "hosting" the facility. So, now we have to spend a little bit of that revenue to protect the continued revenue stream. Seems like a small price to pay.
Kyle stated last night (and has since told me in greater detail) that most other gambling facilities have ten uniformed security officers working the floor. Kyle objected to the fact that city officers were used to patrol the Racino, when, in his estimation, private security should handling security.
Although we covered the issue when it first broke, Kyle's comments and subsequent emails led me to investigate a little more. It turns out, according to Commissioner Kim and Chief of Police Edward Moore, that city police officers do not regularly patrol the racino, but instead respond on as-needed basis to back up private security and file charges. While private security can legally detain an out-of-control patron, they can't file formal charges. Coincidentally, some of the security officers at the racino are retired SSPD officers.
In addition, if there is a large crowd, an officer might be detailed to walk through the facility as part of a regular patrol before proceeding with other operations. In cases of special events or exceptionally large crowds, Moore said officers might be sent to the Racino to back up private security, just as they do at the track during the racing season. And this is where the overtime issues -- and presumably, Kyle's objections -- arise.
But if you ask me, the money is well spent. Here's why:
The only difference between this function, and the police's service at the track (police control large crowds of people) is that the Racino pumps a large amount of money into the city, to the tune of $3.4 million, or ten percent of the city's budget. Saratoga Springs doubtless had a sweet deal when we were getting all that money and investing relatively little in "hosting" the facility. So, now we have to spend a little bit of that revenue to protect the continued revenue stream. Seems like a small price to pay.
posted by The Saratogian City Desk at
8:20 PM
1 Comments:
It's too bad that our Public Safety Commissioner can't explain it as you do.
Now that there are conflicting stories I'll have to research it myself. Whatever I find to be true someone will be on my poo list.
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