Putnam Sheriff's Office To Receive $1.37M From US Justice Department

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — The Putnam County Sheriff's Department will receive $1.37 million, as the U.S. Department of Justice finally pays their share of over $16 million owed to local police departments for contributions to the Westchester DEA task force, which works in partnership with the feds, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer announced Wednesday.

Schumer today revealed that, following his push calling for the DOJ to pay local law enforcement agencies in the region what they rightfully deserve for working to curb illegal drug trafficking in the region, the feds are now set to deliver over $10 million owed to local police departments for their vital contributions, ending years of bureaucratic delays.

SEE: Schumer Demands Fair Share Of $16M For Region's Police Task Force

"Hudson Valley police departments from Rockland to Westchester to Putnam worked day in and day out to protect our communities, going above the call of duty to keep the region safe, but were left waiting and wondering — some for almost four years — if they would ever receive from the feds the partnership funding they deserved. I promised them I would not stop fighting until they got the millions they were owed, and today a promise made is a promise kept," Schumer said in the announcement. "After years of delays, police departments across the Hudson Valley are now finally getting paid the $10+ million they have rightfully deserved for helping the feds keep our communities safe from drug trafficking. With this federal funding now on the way, these departments will no longer have to worry about strained budget. It was an all-out effort, but I am proud we cut through the red-tape for our local cops and gotten them the compensation they deserve for safeguarding our communities."

Here's what local agencies are due to receive this week, he said:

Schumer said that the departments, as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Westchester Tactical Diversion Squad Task Force, played a pivotal role in a landmark case against the Rochester Drug Cooperative. In April 2019, the RDC and its executives were indicted by the DOJ under the Controlled Substances Act for their involvement in the illegal sale of opioids and their failure to report suspicious orders.

The investigation exposed the extent of unlawfully distributed opioids and the unscrupulous practices that had plagued our communities for years. Despite DOJ receiving a substantial sum as part of the case, the local police departments involved in the Task Force, such as the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, for too long did not receive their rightful share, which created an unjust situation, he said.