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| Law Enforcement Agencies Gather in Constableville to Review 2018-19 Snowmobile Season Data and Prepare for Upcoming Season December 12, 2019 09:30 a.m. By: Nick Altmire |
gathered at the Constableville Fire Hall on Wednesday morning for the annual Law Enforcement Snowmobile meeting, hosted by the Lewis County Sheriff's Office and the NYS Office of Parks & Recreation's Snowmobile Unit. The State Snowmobile Unit presented data on accidents and fatalities reported during the 2018-19 season (see video at end of article), which runs parallel to the State fiscal year from April 1st, 2018 through March 31st, 2019. A total of 160 accidents were reported statewide, with 21 reported fatalities. In Lewis County, there were 27 reported accidents with 4 fatalities, second most in NYS in both categories. Herkimer County had 47 reported accidents and 7 fatalities, with 41 of those accidents and 6 fatalities occurring in the Town of Webb. According to the data presented, the top three leading factors in snowmobile accidents were:
Unsafe speed was determined a leading factor in 16 of the fatal accidents, with alcohol also playing a factor in 8 of the fatal accidents. Lewis County District Attorney Leanne Moser presented information on the new bail and discovery reforms in New York State that will go into effect on January 1, explaining how the reforms will relate to recreation tickets. The Snowmobile Unit also presented information on the grant reimbursement program to local municipalities for snowmobile patrols, which can cover up to 75% of costs. The program has a cap of $200,000 to allocate statewide, with 20 participating agencies during the 2018-19 season. Reimbursement came in at 70%, with a total of $379,000 in approved expenditures. All $200,000 of the grant money will be distributed between the 20 participating agencies for a total of 70% of the total expenditure. Agencies represented at the annual meeting included New York State Police, New York State Park Police, New York State Forest Rangers, DEC Police, Lewis County Sheriff's Office, Oswego County Sheriff's Office, St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Office, Madison County Sheriff's Office, Oneida County Sheriff's Office, City of Rome PD, Town of Webb Police, State Parks Sled Unit, State Snowmobile Association, Representatives for Sen. Ritchie, Sen. Griffo and Assemblyman Blankenbush, Utica DMV officials, Town of Redfield Justice, Tug Hill Commission, Lewis County DA, Lewis County Area Snowmobile, Lewis County Parks and Recreation Department, Lewis County Emergency Management.
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