Coffee with The Chief

Chief  Rickard sat down with Orange County Sheriff-elect, Paul Arteta.  Paul is a long time Orange County, NY resident with 30 years' experience in law enforcement.  In this episode, Sheriff-elect Arteta shares his past experience and what his plans and vision for the Sheriff's office when he begins his term in January, 2023.

This month, Chief Rickard speaks with a long time friend, Scott Weinberger. Scott is a  former Deputy Sheriff turned investigative reporter and executive producer.  He founded Weinberger Media in 2007 to create unique content for television.  Weinberger media shows can be seen in 270 countries and include On the Case with Paula Zahn, True Conviction, One Deadly Mistake, and American Vice. Scott co-created the "Anatomy of Murder" Podcast which is available on all podcast platforms.  Scott has three Emmys under his belt and recently won a Webby Award for the best single episode in the Crime and Justice Category.You can connect with Scott on his various social media channels:Twitter: @WeinbergerMediaInstagram: @weinbergermediaWebsite: https://www.weinbergermedia.com/And listen and subscribe to the Anatomy of Murder Podcast on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Amazon Music Podcast, Spotify.You can connect with Chief Rickard via email: chief@mounthopepolice.com.

After a quick break in August, Chief Rickard returns with retired FBI agent and current Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson mayor, James A. Gagliano.  As a West Point Graduate (Class of 1987) and with his 25 years' experience in the FBI, James offers a unique insight on law enforcement through the years and how it's impacted the world we live in now. You can connect with James via various social media outlets:Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-a-gagliano-1812a4142/Twitter: @JamesAGaglianoInstagram: @jamesagaglianoAs always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, you can reach Chief Paul Rickard at chief@mounthopepolice.com.

This month Chief Rickard sat down with community member, Moniysha Maldonado. She is a local business owner and a member of the Community Engagement Team.  She is also a community organizer (although she doesn't see herself as one).  

This month, Chief Rickard sat down with Otisville Elementary School Principal, Mr. Vincent Biele.  Mr. Biele has worked in Otisville Elementary School as an administrator for 14 years but he started his career in education well before that. The last time he was on the podcast was almost 2 years ago, on September, 2020, where he and Chief Rickard spoke about what parents and students can expect when Otisville Elementary School reopens during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Since  Mr. Biele is retiring this year, Chief Rickard wanted to invite him to the podcast again.  This time around, the focus was about Vinny's career and future.  We hope you enjoy this episode.

Police Week is being observed on May 11- May 17 this year.  We decided to change things up a bit and have Sergeant Anna Briceno guest host and interview Chief Rickard and Officer Nicholas Contino, the youngest member of the Police Department.  We hope you enjoy listening in to the different perspectives.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness month, and Chief Rickard sat down with Tina Conneely from Orange County Rape Crisis to talk about this sensitive topic.  Tina shared different resources available for victims. They also talked about the Start by Believing initiative. Listen in to get valuable insight.To connect with an advocate or to contact the Orange County Rape Crisis, call 3-1-1 or 800-832-1200.  These lines are available 24/7.You can also got their website: http://www.mhaorangeny.com/rapecrisis/.As always, if you have any questions or concerns, you can contact Chief Rickard at chief@mounthopepolice.com or 845-386-8886.

This month, Chief Rickard spoke to someone who is usually behind the scenes on the podcast, the Mount Hope Police Dept. social media outlets,  and community events - Police Clerk, Marie Bubilo.

This month, Chief Rickard spoke with the newest Town of Mount Hope Board Member, Councilwoman Amanda Davis.  

This month Chief Rickard sat down with Matthew Howell,  the new Town of Mount Hope Supervisor. 

For the last podcast of 2021, Chief Rickard sat down with Dana Newman and Leah Horrevoets of the Child Advocacy Center.  Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Orange County Child Advocacy Center started operating without walls in April, 2020. They had their official opening in April, 2021.  The CAC provides a centralized hub which brings child protective services, law enforcement, medical providers, advocacy, and therapeutic resources together, and makes the investigation process less traumatic for children.Since their opening in April, 2020, they have served 818 children. Of those cases, they have seen 88 physical abuse cases, 463 sexual abuse cases, 41 general neglect cases, and 2 drug endangerment cases.  

This month, Chief Rickard spoke with Alison Miller. One of the founding members of the Friends of the Otisville School, Inc. , a non-profit corporation organized exclusively for the preservation and rehabilitation of the Old Otisville School. To get more information about the Friends of the Otisville School, such as a progress update on the work being completed, ways to support the organization, and how to connect with them, you can visit their website https://www.fotosotisville.com/ .  You can also connect with them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/friendsoftheotisvilleschool/.

Any fan of Law & Order will tell you that there are two distinctive parts in the criminal justice system- there's the police and the prosecutor. This month, Chief Rickard sat down with Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler. Get to know DA Hoovler in this episode of Coffee with the Chief.

September 1 is the first day of school for all students of the Minisink Valley Central School District.  Chief Rickard sat down with Mr. Brian Monahan, Superintendent of the Minisink Valley Central School District.  To get the most up to date information on Minisink Valley Central School District's 2021-202 opening, to go their website,  https://www.minisink.com/. You can also follow them on their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD/.

This month, Chief Rickard sat down with Lucy Joyce, Executive Director of the Orange County Cornell Cooperative.  To get more information about the Cornell Cooperative and the 4H Club, visit http://cceorangecounty.org/

This month, Chief Rickard sat down with members of the Otisville Centennial Committee- KeriLee Carey, Bob Clouse, and AnnMarie Troy to talk about upcoming Otisville Centennial Celebration.  Did you know that the Village of Otisville was incorporated in 1921?  For an updated list of events visit the Village of Otisville Centennial Celebration Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/Village-of-Otisville-Centennial-Celebration-107263094403654 .You can also get more information or contact the committee via the Village of Otisville website: https://villageotisville.digitaltowpath.org:10202/content.

This month, Chief Rickard spoke to Mike McGinn, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Jason Conklin Memorial Lodge, #957.  Police Week was earlier this month, and communities from all over the country held live and virtual events to honor fallen officers.  On May 7, Orange County, NY held its annual law enforcement memorial service which was hosted by the New York State Fraternal Order of Police Jason Conklin Memorial Lodge, #957.Mr. McGinn is also a retired police officer and a Town of Monroe  councilman.  Chief Rickard and Mr. McGinn spoke about the memorial, law enforcement then and now, and various other topics. 

This month, Chief Rickard sat down with Mount Hope/ Otisville resident, Diane Loeven. Diane has lived in the town for a few decades and is very active in the community.  She is involved in different local community organizations such as the Hometown Helpers and the Mount Hope Seniors.  She is currently in the Otisville Village Board.  Diane gives us a glimpse of what it was like working as one of the first female employees in the federal prison, life in Otisville and Mount Hope in years past, and gives us information about what's happening in the different organizations she's involved in.

We have a bonus episode for Women's History month.  Sergeant Briceno joined the conversation for Women's HIstory Month. Listen in to get her perspective as a woman not only in law enforcement but a woman in a supervisory role.

March is Women's History Month and Chief Rickard sat down with three different women who are in different stages in their law enforcement career: Mrs. Fran Heppes, a retired police officer who served in Middletown, NY and Liberty, NY, Officer Jamie Johnson, a 23 year veteran officer who is currently the School Resource Officer in our local elementary school, and Officer Meghan Ede, who joined the Mount Hope Police Department in the fall of 2020. Each woman shared interesting insights about being a woman in law enforcement based on their different experiences.

For this episode of Coffee with the Chief, Chief Rickard spoke to Rudolph B. Hall from the New York State Attorney General Office. He is the Assistant Chief of the Special Investigations and Prosecution Unit. They talked about the unit's role in Police involved deaths, body cameras, and other policing issues.

This month, Chief Rickard sat down with Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus to talk about things happening in Orange County including vaccine distribution.

We are wrapping up 2020 with Orange County Legislators Tom Faggione and Janet Sutherland. They shared an insight on what it is they do behind the scenes and updates on what's been going on in the Town of Mount Hope and Orange County.Show Notes:For more information on the "Orange Cares" letter writing program visit:https://www.orangecountygov.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1166. As part of “Orange Cares,” Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus is asking residents to write letters of appreciation to Orange County’s doctors, nurses, first responders, medical administrative staff and those in nursing homes or hospitals during this holiday season.CONTACT INFORMATION:Chief RickardBy phone: 845-386-8886By email: chief@mounthopepolice.comLegislator Janet Sutherland, District 2By phone: 845-5020-2115By email: jsutherland@orangecountygov.comLegislator Tom Faggione, District 13By phone: 845-551-5784By email: tfaggione@orangecountygov.com

Addiction has been a prevalent issue in Orange County and the rest of the country even before the pandemic. Although formal data is not yet available, we do know that relapses and overdoses have been on the rise since the pandemic. Chief Rickard sat down with Annette Kahrs of Hope Not Handcuffs and Tri-County Community Partnerships about the challenges of addiction. They also spoke about the resources and services that these organizations provide for those who struggle with addiction. If you or someone you know struggle with addiction and would like help, you can call 833-428-HOPE. If you are local, you can visit our station at 7 Baker Street, Otisville, and we can connect you with a Hope Not Handcuff angel.If you would like more information on becoming a volunteer angel, how to support these organizations, or simply to connect with Hope not Handcuffs and Tri-County Community Partnership, you can go online or on their respective Facebook pages: Hope Not Handcuffs and Tri-County Community Partnership.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and Chief Rickard sat down with members of the Orange County Suicide Prevention Committee, Call Center, and Mobile Mental Health. It is our hope that you will share this podcast and the information to others to help save a life.To reach the Call Center (ALL CALLS ARE CONFIDENTIAL)Dial 3-1-1 or 800-832-1200- Provides telephone support, assessment, and a warm connection to appropriate services if needed.- Refers callers to Peer supports to assist with engagement to service, help to navigate the system, and on-going support.Did you know?- Mobile Mental Health is now the Orange County Crisis Mobile Response Team.- The Call Center can send a peer to meet you in the community.- Text4Teens is now available 24 hrs a day by texting 845-391-1000.- Rape Crisis Services can be accessed through the Call Center.- The Call Center will provide information and referrals.- The Orange County Crisis Mobile Response Team now provides Mental Health, Substance Use Disorder, and Developmental Disability Crisis Response.To contact Angela Turk regarding the Orange County Suicide Prevention Committee or training for your organization, please call 845-291-2600, or 845-291-6610.We would like to thank Darcie Miller, Orange County Commissioner of Social Services and Mental Health for putting this together. We would also like to thank Angela Turk, Sean Gerow, Sheena Carey, Laura Altieri, Tammy Rhein, and Nora Sheppard for taking time to talk about this important topic and the resources available in Orange County.

This month's Coffee with the Chief was the first live, in person recording since the shut down on March 13, 2020. Chief Rickard sat down with Mr. Vincent Biele, Principal of Otisville Elementary School. They spoke about the reopening plan for the 2020-2021 school year.Show Notes:Families will have the option of going fully remote or following the hybrid model (three days remote, two days in person).September 1-4 will be a Superintendent's Conference Day- no school for the students.Students will all go back to school remotely on Tuesday, September 8.For more information on Minisink Valley Central School District's reopening plan, please visit https://www.minisink.com/a-smart-restart-the-reopening-of-minisink-valley-schools/.If you have any questions about the reopening plan, you can contact Mr. Biele at vbiele@minisink.com.If you have any law enforcement or community related questions, you can reach Chief Rickard at (845) 386-8886 or chief@mounthopepolice.com.

Chief Rickard talks about our upcoming episode and addresses some questions and concerns that has been brought up by the community.

This month, Chief Rickard sat down with Julia Downey, the assistant principal of Otisville Elementary School. They spoke about juggling motherhood, family life, and work life during the CoVID-19 pandemic.

Author and High School Principle Andrew Marotta joins Chief Rickard this month.Husband, Father, Principal, former Division One College Basketball Official, Professional Speaker & Developer, and now author Andrew Marotta, is an energetic and enthusiastic school leader who has put his positive imprint on his beloved school, Port Jervis HS, in Port Jervis, NY.

For the May edition, Stony Brook Men's Basketball Coach Geno Ford joins Mount Hope Police Chief Paul Rickard to talk about the current pandemic, sports recruiting and America East Basketball.Gene A. "Geno" Ford is a college basketball coach and former basketball player who is currently the head coach of the Stony Brook Seawolves men's basketball team. He has previously served as head coach at Bradley University, Kent State University, Muskingum University (then Muskingum College), and Shawnee State University, and as an assistant at Ohio University and Kent State. Ford was a prolific scorer in high school and in college at Ohio before turning to coaching.