But the process could be complicated by the memoranda of understanding which binds parties participating in URGENT. According to Van Blarcum, the agreement holds that all money seized by URGENT would be rolled back into the task force. Town of Ulster Supervisor James Quigley III, who, citing issues of liability and efficiency, pulled an Ulster town police detective from URGENT in 2010, said he believed the town was entitled to a cut of the seizure proceeds. But, he said, he learned belatedly that the agreement had been changed sometime after the Town ofUlstersigned on in 2007.
“There are many, many, many versions of that memoranda floating around,” said Quigley. “It appears that it was changed every year. To this date we still haven’t gotten a dime.”
But Van Blarcum, who praised the work of the KPD cops on URGENT said that he was committed to working out an equitable agreement with “no hard feelings.”
Still working together
Despite the potential dispute over the division of the assets, Van Blarcum and Tinti both pledged to maintain cooperation between the county’s two largest law enforcement agencies, building on the relationships forged over the past five years. Tinti called URGENT a “success” and said Kingston cops would remain available to assist investigations outside the city. Gallo, who campaigned on a message of shared municipal services to cut costs, said that he hoped that the city’s withdrawal from URGENT would not impact future collaborative efforts.
“I look forward to a continuing partnership with the sheriff and the undersheriff,” said Gallo. “Because the fact is, we need them.”
