Wishing our Chief the Best

Posted March 4, 2023
Village Police Chief Dave Conklin and his family are moving to North Carolina, a move he delayed 3-years ago to take his position here. I am sad to see him go, as are the Trustees and many of you.

The journey to find a new Chief, which began several months ago, can be challenging. The Chief will continue to manage the Police Department until we find his replacement by using Zoom and monthly visits. While this is not a permanent solution, we greatly appreciate his willingness to help us during the transition.

The Chief accomplished many things during his tenure. Here are several I would like to highlight:

• The department stayed within budget each year
• Overtime expenses were lowered by over 300%
• Staff turnover reduced by 100%
• Increased officer training with zero impact on the budget
• Significant strides in moving Tuxedo Park toward a community policing model
• Participated in the inclusion of enhanced safety features and operations of the new booth
• Strong Public Safety record including the year-over-year decrease in speeding and vehicle accidents
• Improved morale in the force
• Enhanced personnel files and procedures
• Design, Installation, and operation of the new automatic security gates
• Practical resident accessibility and complaint management and resolution
• Greatly enhanced communications with the Board of Trustees and residents
• Developed content for the police department web page and social media

The department brought us the following:

• Hope Not Handcuffs
• Prescription Drug Disposal
• Safe Kids National Child Passenger Safety Seat Program
• Project ChildSafe (gun safety at home)
• Police Reform Committee
• Grants for Bullet Proof Vests and Body Cameras
• New Defibrillators
• NARCAN® Emergency kits
• Emergency Alert Protocols for residents in need

The Chief’s last day is Thursday, March 16, 2023. Please join the Trustees and me in thanking the Chief for doing a tremendous job building our Police Department.