In what has been expected from some time, the new Commissioner of Public Safety position and the appointment of Rye PD Commish Michael C. Corcoran to fill that role is expected by Rye City Council this Wednesday, January 25, 2017. Corcoran joined the Rye PD just one year ago.
The move is a merger of the police and fire departments under common command. Some would say better coordination is a result and others would say the move is driven by cost issues as municipalities are under greater and greater budget pressure.
There has also been talk in the past of combining police and fire resources with nearby communities, but that has never come to any sort of fruition. Too many turf wars. There is some cooperation with adjacent towns in the area of garbage collection, and Rye City contracts with Westchester County for any number of shared services.
And while Rye is of course covered by Rye PD, you will also see County Police (Playland Parkway, County Parks such as Playland), State Troopers (I-95 and i-287 corridor) and Metro North MTA Police (rail corridor). The FBI also has a new office in town, but they show up just for those office jobs.
On the new Commissioner of Public Safety, here is the pre-announcement announcement issues by Rye City Manager Marcus Serrano.
We wish Commissioner Michael C. Corcoran success is his new position.
(PHOTO: The Commish, Michael C. Corcoran, Jr. Esq.)
NEW COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY
Appointment of Commissioner of Public Safety
City of Rye, New York; January 17, 2017– On the evening of January 25, 2017 the City Council of the City of Rye, New York is expected to consider approval and to consent to the City Manager’s appointment of Michael C. Corcoran as the City’s first Commissioner of Public Safety.
City Manager, Marcus Serrano announced today that
“after a long process that involved the review of all public safety functions, support from the City Council, Fire Department and the public, through a referendum, we are moving the City in what I believe to be a model for others to follow. Not only do I believe that this is the right direction but we are very fortunate to have the right person at the right time. I am proud to have appointed Michael C. Corcoran as the new Police Commissioner and now to our newly created position of Commissioner of Public Safety. He has proven to be a great leader in the Police Department and now he brings his management style to the Fire Department to work with the Fire Chiefs along with the volunteers and Career Fire staff. We all owe a great debt to the leadership of this Council to see the benefits of this position and for their support. I would like to thank the Mayor, as well as a special thanks to Councilwoman Bucci and Councilman Mecca, for all the work they put in to make this possible. Finally, I would like to thank the residents for their support in voting for the referendum. Without them none of this would have been possible.”
Under the City Charter, the City Manager appoints the new position of Commissioner of Public Safety. The City Council considers the Manager’s appointment and provides approval by consent. On January 25, 2017 the City Council will consider the Manager’s appointment and vote on a motion to consent to the appointment of Michael C. Corcoran as Commissioner of Public Safety effective January 25, 2016.
City Manager Marcus Serrano stated “Mr. Corcoran has proven himself to be a good leader and understands the needs of both departments. I have been impressed by Mr. Corcoran’s command and communications skills. He has become part of the community. I am proud to appoint Mr. Corcoran as the new Commissioner of Public Safety. I am positive that Mr. Corcoran will move all Public Safety Departments forward and continue to provide the services to the City of Rye residents in a continued professional and friendly manner the residents expect.”
Mr. Corcoran has been the Police Commissioner for almost a year. He came to the City with twenty-five years of experience in law enforcement. He was the Deputy Chief of Police for West Orange, New Jersey. In this position he was in charge of all operations, investigations and emergency management for a force of nearly 100 officers.
Mr. Corcoran stated “this is a watershed moment for the City of Rye.” I am honored and grateful for the support and trust of the City Manager and Council. I am extremely proud of the work our police officers have done this year and look forward to reshaping emergency services by integrating the Fire Department under the umbrella of the newly created Department of Public Safety. I have been met with nothing but professionalism in my initial meetings with the Fire Department and am confident that we will provide our citizens with professional public safety services that consistently meet best practices and industry standards.
I look forward to working with all members of the Fire Department and to continue working with the Police Department, City Manager, City Council, all departments and residents of the City.
I thank the City Manager and Council for this great opportunity and I will strive every day to ensure that the City of Rye’s public safety services are a model for others to emulate.”
