Deputy Chief of Police Joseph Burns | Email P: (845) 446-4010 Emergency 911 Address Police Department 37 Main Street Highland Falls, NY 10928
The principal mission statement of the Town of Highlands Police Department is to serve the community by protecting life and property, preventing crime, enforcing laws, and maintaining order for all citizens. It is essential for all members to remember that in the execution of our duties we act not for ourselves, but for the good of the citizens and perform our duties with truthfulness, enthusiasm, courage, discretion, allegiance and sound judgment. In fulfilling our mission, we need the support of citizens, elected representatives, government officials and the criminal justice system in order to provide the quality of service our values commit us to providing. We, the members of the Town of Highlands Police Department, are committed for the following values:
The Town of Highlands Town Supervisor Mervin R. Livsey has created the Town of Highlands Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative Advisory panel as required by Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order #203. We are required to establish a committee of stakeholders from government and our community to evaluate our police practices and policies. This advisory panel has solicited comments and suggestions from the community and discussed each one of them as we created our department's comprehensive plan. We evaluated the community input to see how we can address their needs. All suggestions either gathered from input or determined by the committee are addressed in our final plan, a copy of which is available by clicking here. Please e-mail any community questions or suggestions to [email protected]. NYS Police Reform & Reinvention Collaborative - Resources & Guidelines for Public Officials & Citizens
Handicap Permit Replacement Public Comment or Complaint Form How to Apply for a Parking Permit or License Plates for Persons with Severe Disabilities Form MV-664.1
Any request for a police incident report or an accident report must to be directed through the Town Clerk’s office, 254 Main Street, Highland Falls, NY 10928. Please provide as much information as possible to help expedite your request. The telephone number is (845) 446-4280 extension 310 or 311. A fee as permitted by law may apply to cover the cost of copying the document. All fees are collected and paid through the Town Clerk’s office. The police department does not directly accept any fees. The law requires a response to your request within five (5) business days when made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) and either the document(s) must be provided, denied or a reasonable time frame provided when the documents might be available or denied.
It is important to note that the desired information may be protected and not able to be disclosed. Particularly if an arrest has not been made, a suspect or person being interviewed is not entitled to know the identity of the complainant. Even a victim is not arbitrarily entitled to all details contained in a report. An attorney or judge might otherwise be required to subpoena the information. There are many privacy issues where the names of assistant district attorneys, police officers, victims, witness, complainants and other persons interviewed can be redacted. Police techniques and certain actions can be redacted. The Civil Rights Law forbids the release of information concerning victims of sex crimes. A person’s right to privacy might very well outweigh a person’s right to know. Similarly, even police officers are not informed the identity of the caller that might report an alleged incident to the state’s Child Abuse Hotline. Social service agencies such as welfare cannot even provide information on their clients to police unless the crime is directly related to that agency function. Even when an arrest is made, the defendant is not necessarily entitled to the identity of the victim, witness, etc. unless the identity of the victim, witness, etc. had been contained in the accusatory instrument needed to arraign the defendant. Due process must take place and the information may otherwise become available through discovery proceedings or other judicial settings The Criminal Procedure Law provides that records relating to matters wherein a person is acquitted should be sealed and not disclosed. Wherein, as many cases, a person was not charged with the commission of a crime or offense and the legal opinion provided to the department, it is protected from disclosure. Generally a minimum of five (5) business days are needed for the processing, review and administrative approval of a Police Accident Report, Form MV104A.
Inquiries regarding any traffic summons or other court matter must be directed through the court. Justice Donaldson can be reached at (845) 446-4280 extension 322 and Justice Stewart can be reached at (845) 446-4280 extension 323. The court address is 254 Main Street, Highland Falls, NY 10928 You may be eligible for compensation from the New York State Crime Victims Board for items such as ”lost wages, medical expenses, counseling, funeral expenses, essential personal property, occupational rehabilitation, moving expenses or crime scene cleanup”. Police and District Attorneys can help protect you against harassment and intimidation. Information brochures and information cards may be found at every police station, precinct house or any location in New York State where a crime may be reported. Compensation applications might also be available at those locations. Applications are also available on-line.
The Orange County Crime Victims Assistance Program can assist with: explanation of court proceedings, referral to agencies for emotional support and assistance, preparation of Crime Victim Impact Statements for the court presenting the victim’s views regarding sentencing and restitution. They may also assist with accompaniment to court, to a police station, to the district attorney’s office, for Grand Jury testimony. They can also assist with Domestic Violence Crisis Intervention, preparation of Family Offense Petitions for Family Court, and assistance in filing compensation claims with the N.Y.S. Crime Victims Board for eligible medical, counseling and out-of-pocket expenses. Further information can be found on the State’s Web site at – www.cvb.state.ny.us. You may also call 1-800-247-8035 or TTY at 1-888-289-9747. The County’s Middletown office telephone number is (845) 346-1201 and the Goshen office telephone number is (845) 291-4780 while the Family Court Unit telephone number is (845) 291-4015.
Orders of Protection and Temporary Orders of Protection as known in New York State and Restraining Order as known in other jurisdictions are not issued by a police officer or police department, those orders can only be issued by the Courts. Police can sometimes assist in acquiring an order, provided an offense is already filed or the request accompanies an information or complaint to be filed with the local criminal court. A police officer may be required to serve upon the defendant or respondent, a duly issued Order of Protection or Temporary Order of Protection. A local criminal court justice (Town Justice) can only issue an order of protection or a temporary order of protection that is based on an offense filed in his or her court. The victim of the offense need be the requesting party or the parent or guardian of a child and the child is a victim but other exceptions may apply, including when a local criminal court justice is acting as a superior court justice. There may also be restrictions that do not allow a local criminal court justice the ability to issue a protection order. A local criminal court justice at his or her own discretion can issue an order of protection or temporary order of protection without the consent of the victim. A superior court judge can issue an Order of Protection or a Temporary order of protection even when an offense has not been filed in their Court. These offenses are usually family matter such as a domestic incident and are commonly issued by the Family Court. The process begins at the Probation Intake Unit, 255-275 Main Street, Goshen, New York 10924, where they will assist in the processing of the required documents. They can be reached at (845) 291-4750.
Safe Homes of Orange County is a private, non-profit agency dedicated to providing confidential assistance to victims of domestic violence and their children. They offer a 24 hour Hotline as well as shelter, advocacy, accompaniment, support groups, individual support as well as information and referral. Their main office is in Newburgh. They can be reached by calling toll free 1-888-503-HOPE (4673).
Information on any convicted sex offender registered in New York State can be found at –http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/.
(845) 856-6500 New York State Police (845) 291-2050 Orange County District Attorney’s Office 1-800-227-0028 Orange County Sheriff’s Office (845) 446-4911 Village of Highland Falls Police Department (845) 291-2332 Orange County Health Department (845) 291-2600 Orange County Department of Mental Health (845) 291-4750 Orange County Probation Department, Goshen (845) 291-4300 Orange County Department of Social Services, Goshen (845) 291-2800 Orange County Department of Social Services, Adult & Children Services (845) 291-3000 Orange County Government