COMBINED ANTI-CRIME EFFORT OK'D

SCHENECTADY -- A law enforcement team made up of Schenectady police, a
sheriff's deputy, probation officers and a prosecutor has been created
by the Schenectady County Legislature.

Lawmakers voted unanimously Tuesday night to establish the new Office
of Field Intelligence, which will use $800,000 in state funds for a
law enforcement team aimed at eradicating gang activity and drug
dealing in Schenectady.

The new office will be based at the Schenectady Police Department and
include three city detectives, an assistant district attorney,
probation officers, patrol officers and a crime analyst.

The legislature agreed to accept $815,000 from the Division of
Criminal Justice Services to establish the office. The funds come from
the state's Operation Impact anti-crime program, which uses state
money to fund joint law enforcement efforts in 17 cities.

Police say the new intelligence office, which will also focus on
making arrests for illegal gun possession, will enable the various law
enforcement agencies that work in Schenectady to share information
about criminal trends and suspected lawbreakers.

The money, which will run from July 1 of this year through June 30,
2007, will be divided between the Police Department, the district
attorney's office and probation.

The police will receive $521,207; prosecutors will get $217,538; and
probation will get $76,255. The money going to the Police Department
will pay for overtime.

The money bound for the district attorney's office will pay the
salaries of two prosecutors, including the lawyer assigned to the
grand jury bureau.