Second Safest City Blog

The Rockland Urinal News broke the story on Spring Valley Mayor Darden using illegal emergency lights to get through mall traffic.

For this gross abuse of public trust, what happens? Did he get charged with public corruption?  Did he resign?  Did he apologize?  Did he get charged with class E felony criminal impersonation of a police officer? Maybe he was issued a ticket for having illegal red lights?

No, he got a warning from the Clarkstown Police. We can only speculate, but here’s why we think this is so.

As many readers here know, Clarkstown is said to be the 2nd Safest City(tm).  Everyone’s entitled to their own interpretation of that statistic.  To the writers here, it is actually a farce that is used to justify high property taxes and unjustifiably high salaries and benefits for municipal employees including police.  But Clarkstown Police claim it is because of strategies including using completely unmarked cars with officers in plain clothes carrying only a badge that we are so safe.  Mayor Darden was simply establishing a low profile presence and policing the area during the busy holidays. He is just pitching in with the effort to keep the mall free of crime. We are the 2nd Safest City(tm) because even neighboring town’s mayor have police lights now and patrol our streets at no cost to us! The officer that issued him a warning was merely saying thanks to Mayor Darden for helping pitch in and keep the crime down in the 2nd Safest City(tm).

The Urinal News claimed that it would follow up on this story, but it did not.

Drivers in Clarkstown, take notice: the next time you get pulled over by the Clarkstown Police, the officer may be riding in a taxi or a Honda Civic, and be wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

This provocative article outlines the questionable tactics of the Clarkstown Police in allowing officers in plain clothes to use completely unmarked cars for traffic stops and routine police work. Not surprisingly, the Clarkstown Police spokesman refused to issue comment until the town council prodded him. His response?

“Maybe that’s why we were just identified as the second safest community in New York State of a population our size. Being a resident of the town you should be very proud of your police department and the work we’re doing.”

Truly safe cities don’t need armed narcotics and gang task forces.