Westchester County Police Force Absorbs Mount Kisco Cops

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- There's been a passing of the police baton in Westchester County.

As CBS2's Lou Young reported, 24 former members of the Mount Kisco Police Department made the transition Monday to the Westchester County police force, being sworn in by County Executive Rob Astorino as their old commander looked on.

"It is sad to see guys that I worked with the past 15 years go on without me," Mount Kisco police Chief Joseph Spinelli said.

Mount Kisco is out of the cops and crime business under a new five-year contract it signed with the county. Mount Kisco police are now limited to parking enforcement and town court security. The patrol cops and detectives have joined the county.

"This really looks like the model going forward because in every little village, every town, their costs are going up and up," Astorino said.

The town of Mount Kisco was able to cut a half-million dollars out of its budget. The county insists there is no cost increase on its end.

"Administrative, dispatching and supervision work -- so that's where you get the savings," County Legislator Catherine Borgia said.

Most cops coming from the Mount Kisco force say working for a larger department will open up more promotion opportunities.

"There's only a certain amount of sergeants, you have two lieutenants, a chief, and depending on how you fall in line ... you could be stuck in the police officer position for many years, if not forever," said Officer David DiPiezo.

Residents whom CBS2 spoke with said they are happy to save the money but are waiting to see if they lose anything in the transition.

A lot of people expect to see more consolidation in the future.

"We don't need 42 police departments in Westchester County," County Legislator Peter Harckham said. "With all the overhead and command structures, we can consolidate some of that."