News stories tagged with "crime"

(05/22/12) The Potsdam Village Board opened a public discussion on the size of the police force last night.

Two positions have remained unfilled since one sergeant resigned last year, and another was promoted to chief. That's prompted questions about how big a police force the village needs. more

(05/21/12) Tonight the Potsdam Village Board will hold a public discussion on the size of the village Police Department. Potsdam has only cut its the department by one position, since former Sergeant Kevin Bates took over as Chief of Police, but that cut has sparked serious discussion about the future of the force.

As Tasha Haverty reports, this evening's session will help determine whether the village will restore the position, or take the opportunity to downsize and save money. more

(04/20/12) When black bear hunters head back into the woods this fall, they'll face new regulations that require them to document any parts of the animal that they plan to sell.

The new law went into effect this year. It's designed to help state and Federal officials crack down on black bear poaching.

It's still legal for hunters in New York to sell bear parts for use in Asian medicine and cooking, but the trade will be much more closely monitored.

Brian Mann has our story. more

(04/18/12) A female sheriff's deputy in Jefferson County reportedly filed a $50 million state Supreme Court lawsuit against the department, its leadership and a detective Monday.

She claims a male detective took topless photos of her, saying they were for use in an online pedophile investigation. The suit claims the deputy never learned how the photos were used and the detective failed to return them when she asked for them. Joanna Richards has more. more

(03/23/12) State police say they've found Carl Burns Jr. of Tupper Lake, who was reported missing earlier this week. Police say he's apparently in good health.

Meanwhile, police are interviewing a woman who went missing at the same time and was found alive Thursday evening on a back road near Conifer, not far from the St. Lawrence County town of Piercefield. more

(03/15/12) The New York Senate and Assembly approved new electoral district lines, as Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders announced agreement on a number of other unrelated issues yesterday. Advocates immediately called the deal on the new lines an assault on voter rights.

The redistricting announcement last night came as backroom talks yielded agreements on expansion of the state's DNA data base, pension reform, and an amendment to allow more gambling in New York. Karen DeWitt reports. more

(03/05/12) There's a new effort in Albany to pass a bill that would bring about a major expansion to the New York's DNA databank.

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys agree that having more DNA can help solve more crimes, but not everyone agrees that this bill does enough to ensure justice. WMHT's Marie Cusick reports for the Innovation Trail. more

(02/02/12) The state Senate has emphatically passed legislation that would expand New York's criminal DNA database. The bill would require people convicted of all crimes, including misdemeanors, to submit DNA samples to the state's DNA databank. Currently, only someone convicted of a felony, or certain types of misdemeanors, is required to submit a DNA sample.

Senators voted 50-10 Tuesday to pass the DNA Databank Expansion Bill. As Chris Morris reports, the bill has a lot support, but it could be tested in the Assembly. more

(02/01/12) Synthetic marijuana, packaged under names like "herbal incense" and "potpourri," gives users a high similar to cannabis, and the side effects can be dangerous.

Law enforcement officials, politicians and substance-abuse specialists say this kind of drug is quickly becoming a serious problem in the North Country. Chris Morris reports. more

(01/31/12) Potsdam's chief of police is retiring at the end of March. In a letter to the village clerk Friday, Ed Tischler said he is leaving to work in the private sector. Village officials say they hope to have a new chief in office by the time Tischler leaves.

The 21-year police department veteran's announcement comes as police are continuing to investigate the murder of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips, in late October. more