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DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. -- Even small villages like Dobbs Ferry could use extra manpower, especially in its police department.
The police department in Dobbs Ferry was understaffed after a string of officers had left and was recently given approval to add a new officer to its squad.
"We're down several officers right now so I was very happy to put another man on the board," said Dobbs Ferry Police Chief Betsy Gilardi.
Gilardi had made several requests to the board for additional manpower for her department. Mayor Hartley Connett approved that request at the Board of Trustees meeting last week and appointed Michael Digilio the newest officer in Dobbs Ferry. The 24-year-old Digilio is a Cortland Manor native and had been working in Mount Vernon the past two years.
"We met him about a month and a half ago, we did receive several resumes," Gilardi said.
One of the advantages of adding a younger officer to the squad will be his ability to adapt, said Gilardi.
"He's still young enough to learn the village way of doing things rather than the city way of doing things," she said. "The difference between the city is there's more everything, more people, more traffic. There's more going on in the city, this is more of a quiet suburb."
While adding just one officer may not seem like much, Gilardi was blunt when asked how much the addition would help.
"More than you think," she said.
What do you think of the village adding another police officer? Do you think that money should be spent elsewhere? Let us know below in the comments section or on Facebook or Twitter.
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