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August 28, 2008

Malone State Police dispatch center closing

By DENISE A. RAYMO

MALONE -- The Malone State Police communications center will close Oct. 1, leaving dispatchers in either Plattsburgh or Ray Brook to send troopers out to local calls.

Maj. Richard Smith, commander of Troop B headquarters in Ray Brook, said the closure is a cost-cutting move and a way to get more troopers out on road patrol in northern Franklin County.

Two civilian employees working in Malone -- Mike McMahon and Nancy Legacy -- can choose to be reassigned to either the Plattsburgh or the Ray Brook barracks, which are an hour away.

McMahon has been with the State Police since 1979 and Legacy since 2004.

When no troopers or supervisors are at the station, the public will be able to use an automated telephone system outside the barracks on U.S. Route 11 to reach someone.

The State Police is building new barracks on the western end of Route 11 across from the Bailey Ford dealership, but it will not have a communications center, Smith said.

He said the agency designs its buildings to be used as a communications hub in case of a large-scale emergency, so there would be an area available for use if needed.

"But there will be no permanent communications center," he said.

Consolidations like this were going on throughout State Police troops across the state even before Gov. David Paterson asked that his departments shave 6 percent off their budgets to close billions in state-funding gaps.

"This is not a direct response to that, but the State Police has been working to have consolidated communications where there have been redundant conditions," Smith said.

In addition to the Malone, Plattsburgh and Ray Brook barracks, Troop B has dispatch centers in St. Lawrence County at Canton and in Essex County at its new 911 building in Lewis.

But Smith was quick to add, "I have no desire to close any of these."

In addition to the cost savings, "this consolidation allows us to get more troopers in the road," he said.

He explained that an armed trooper must always be present for security reasons when civilian-communications specialists are on duty. That means the officer cannot leave the station.

And at times when no dispatcher is on duty, a trooper is assigned to the desk to field calls.

But, once the front desk closes down, that officer will also be freed up to go on road patrol, Smith said.

The commander said he won't know which barracks will be selected as the dispatch station for Malone calls until he sits down with the zone commander and communications officials who are on temporary assignment in Syracuse for the State Fair.

Smith said the public will not see any change in response times with the more-distant dispatch system.

"Absolutely not. They would see no difference whatsoever," he said. "They would be calling the State Police in Plattsburgh or Ray Brook, but the patrol would be dispatched the same."

draymo@pressrepublican.com

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