A Hamptons mayor wants to slash the number of cops in half to save taxpayers in tony Sag Harbor up to $1.4 million per year.
Mayor Brian Gilbride plans to cut the 13-member force to six officers and contract out most law enforcement work to nearby towns because he said residents pay too much — $2.4 million per year — to police the village’s 1.8 square miles.
Just yesterday six squad cars — including a $35,000 SUV — were parked in the department’s lot yesterday and not on patrol, Gilbride said.
“We can’t afford this in Sag Harbor anymore,” Gilbride said
“I don’t think it’s much of a choice. We just have to take a closer look at the cost of policing, period.”
The average Sag Harbor cop costs taxpayers roughly $182,000 a year, when counting salary, benefits and pension costs, Gilbride added.
“Cops have a sense of entitlement,” he said.
“What they have to understand is that a lot of their neighbors, the people they pass by and serve everyday, haven’t seen raises in years.
“I’m not cop bashing,” he said. “I’m just speaking the truth. We can’t afford this in Sag Harbor anymore.”
Gilbride’s plan, which hasn’t yet been implemented, has Sag Harbor police officers scrambling to find new jobs — one officer, Michael Gigante, has already jumped to Northport’s department, officials said.
One proposal is reducing the force to six officers and contracting extra protection from outside police agencies — he’s already solicited bids from Southampton and East Hampton Town departments.
That move would save about $500,000 dollars a year plus future pension costs, Gilbride said.
Another proposal is scrapping the department and would pay the Sheriff’s Department for full coverage, which would cost the village $923,520 per year — a savings of about $1.4 million each year.
Critics have argued that the small village — which explodes with wealthy summer residents each Memorial Day, including Billy Joel — would lose some local flavor with the loss of their own department.
But, “those days are over anyway,” Gilbride countered. “Only the chief actually lives in Sag Harbor.”
Sag Harbor police chief Thomas Fabiano – who has been with the department for 35 years and makes a total of roughly $250,00 per year with benefits – was on vacation yesterday and unavailable for comment.