City of Poughkeepsie (Winner)
County: Dutchess County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (607) 324-7421

The City of Poughkeepsie developed the Police Retention Program to address the problem of out-migration of city police officers to higher paying positions in other municipalities. By completing an in-depth analysis of the police department and working with the PBA, the City was able to restructure the salary, benefits and full-strength requirements of the collective bargaining agreement to reduce the number of officers who leave the department. The program will not only reduce the costs of training and overtime, but will allow the City to rebuild its Community Policing and School Resources Officer initiatives which have such a positive impact on quality-of-life.

Village of Manlius
County: Onondaga County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (315) 682-9171

The Village of Manlius underwent a difficult task with a simple goal; Prevention through Education. The Manlius Fire Department/EMS, in conjunction with the Fayetteville-Manlius School District, created a program to educate students, parents, and the community of the rising opioid epidemic within the community. Their goal was to educate the public on the severity of opioid usage, how to alert someone when they recognize someone using, and what to look for in someone who may be using opioids. One of the Village’s most effective tools was there use of open-dialogue between the speakers and public, rather than simply lecturing. Reports from the Fire Department of student responses indicate that the program was an overwhelming success in educating the student – the Department hoping this education will correlate to their next stage, seeking an overall decrease in opioid overdoses in the community.

Village of Freeport
County: Nassau County
Population: More than 50,000
Village Hall: (516) 377-2300

The Village of Freeport has successfully implemented their Adopt-a-Cop program for the last twenty-four years. The program centers on fourth-grade classrooms in the Freeport Public School District “adopting” a local police-officer from the Freeport PD. The sponsored police-officer visits the children initially in the beginning of the year, and follows up with monthly check-ins. The program was designed around fostering a positive sense of trust and security in the children by law enforcement. The program ends with an annual “Adopt-a-Cop Day” where the police-officers showcase what it is like to be a police-officer, demonstrating some of the department’s equipment like K-9, motorcycle officers, Air Bureau and more. The Police Department attributes the program as a hallmark of awareness, and positive public opinions of the Department. The Village encourages all municipalities to implement a similar program, as it is a proactive measure to reassure positive exchange between law enforcement and the public, while also effectively dispelling negative stereotypes.

City of Poughkeepsie (Winner)
County: Dutchess County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (845) 451-4200

The City of Poughkeepsie Transit System had been experiencing declining ridership for a number of years, requiring subsidies from the City’s general fund of between $300,000-$500,000 annually. The City also faced increasing difficulty maintaining compliance, which would eventually lead to a loss of critical funding. Dutchess County transit also operated bus routes which included areas of the City.

Village of  Freeport
County: Nassau County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
Village Hall: (516) 377-2300

The Village of Freeport implemented “Operation Safe Streets,” which includes quality of life meetings where any resident or business owner can visit the mayor’s office to speak with the mayor directly. The village also equipped all patrol police officers with body cameras, the first Police Department in the State to mandate the use of the equipment. And the village installed a fiber optic loop around the village’s perimeter and installed 27 fixed license plate readers (LPRs), which instantly alert all patrol police vehicles of certain criminal activity.

Village of  Fayetteville
County: Onondaga County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (315) 637-9864

The Fayetteville Deer Management Plan originated through requests from residents for a solution to the overpopulation of white-tailed deer in the Village of Fayetteville. Residents had been reaching out to the village regarding increased deer-vehicle collisions, personal property damage and more troubling an increase in Lyme disease.The mayor established a Deer Committee in September 2015 to determine the need for and the direction of a Deer Management Plan. The Deer Committee is made up of village trustees, village residents and other interested parties.

Village of East Syracuse (Winner)
County: Onondaga County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (315) 437-3541

The Student Intern Bunk-In Program is a win-win for everybody. Since 1995, the program supports and assists in the coordination of a bunk-in program for fire service organizations throughout Onondaga County. Onondaga County Community College offers an associate degree program in Fire Protection Technology. Students enrolled in the fire protection program are eligible to apply for internships as bunk-ins with local host fire departments. Having started with six host fire departments, the program currently has 14 for both fire and EMS, including Moyers Corners, Liverpool, North Syracuse and DeWitt.

Village of East Syracuse (Winner)
County: Onondaga County
Population: Less than 10,000
Village Hall: (315) 437-3541

In 2009, the Village of East Syracuse was awarded a NYS Department of State Local Government Efficiency Grant to study a proposed police consolidation with the Town of DeWitt. Under that study, Fiscal Advisors found that the Police budget was 20% of the overall General Fund budget, yet over 37% of the Village taxes were attributable to the police. In October 2012, a proposal to abolish the Village of East Syracuse Police Department failed by a vote of 521 to 300.

City of Auburn (Winner)
County: Cayuga County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (315) 255-4146

The City of Auburn faced several issues with its parking system: (1) paying for parking with coins was not convenient -- especially when the meters are covered in snow much of the winter; (2) the city had no data on how drivers really use parking which limited their ability to make better decisions for the city; and (3) the city needed a new way to increase revenues, lower costs, and have more revenue accountability. The City chose to introduce the Pango mobile payment parking system to make it easy for citizens to pay for parking either using their smart phone or calling a toll free number to start parking. As a result of this program, the City now has data on how the parking system is being used so better policy decisions can be made regarding rates, length of stay, and other important decisions.

City of Buffalo
County: Erie County
Population: 50,000 +
City Hall: (716) 851-5307

The City of Buffalo recognized the opportunity to leverage Big Data to pinpoint areas of greatest need, to then provide services via an interagency collaborative approach known as "Operation Clean Sweep." Operation Clean Sweep is an initiative designed to improve the quality of life of city residents and to make the best use of scarce resources to eliminate blight and crime.

City of Cohoes (Winner)
County: Albany County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (518) 233-2121

In 2009, the City of Cohoes implemented a Parking Violations Management program that has produced significant improvements in service to the public, clearance rates and collection, with no concurrent increase in staffing or other operational expenditures. Prior to implementation of the program, the City (population 16,168) was experiencing a decline in clearance rates, lengthy disposition times, and a large backlog of unanswered summonses.

Village of  Laurel Hollow (Winner)
County: Nassau County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (516) 692-8826

Since 1997, the Village of Laurel Hollow has contracted with Nassau County for police patrol services. During this period, the contract cost of police services increased by over 100% and now accounts for almost 50% of the total Laurel Hollow budget. A neighboring village, Oyster Bay Cove, was also struggling with increased police costs due to increases in pension fund contributions and healthcare costs.  The two municipalities hired a joint consultant to study the feasibility and define parameters under which a combined police patrol arrangement could work.

City of Utica (Winner)
County: Oneida County
Population: 50,000 +
City Hall: (315) 725-3771

The Utica Police Department, in conjunction with UNHS NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center, unveiled its new crime-fighting tool, the Armadillo, on Thursday, August 26, 2010. The Armadillo -- a donated Brinks vehicle -- is equipped and designed to serve as a virtually indestructible vehicle that, by its presence, discourages and prevents illegal activity as well as nuisance activities that impact the quality of life in neighborhoods.

Village of Endicott (Winner)
County: Broome County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
Village Hall: (607) 757-2421

The Unwanted Medication Collection program was developed by researching similar programs that have been initiated in other states, and putting it into action in the Village of Endicott. The program was originally developed in response to pharmaceuticals being found in public water supplies. The public disposing of unwanted medications into a wastewater treatment system is a major entry point. To address this problem, this program allows any person to come to one central location and, free of charge, dispose of any unwanted medication. The collected medications are then transported to a solid waste incinerator which prevents the medication from entering the water system. Prior to the event, residents did not have a way to dispose of medications that would protect both public safety and the environment.

City of Troy
County: Rensselaer County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
CIty Hall: (518) 270-4495

The Troy ITS Signal Improvements project was a locally administered Federal aid design project that involved the rehabilitation of 22 traffic signals in the historic downtown. The project was developed to replace antiquated traffic signal equipment and provide a coordinated signal system that would reduce vehicular delays and the resulting emissions.

City of Rome
County: Oneida County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (315) 336-6000

The program the Public Safety Department of Rome is creating a program in which the elderly populations of Rome are targeted for disaster preparedness, specifically evacuation preparedness. In times of emergencies most of the elderly have no means of transportation and mobility and have always served as the first victims.  Therefore, this community preparedness program trains volunteers in times of emergencies to help the elderly evacuate.

City of White Plains
County: Westchester County
Population: 50,000 +
City Hall: (914) 422-1200

The City of White Plains Department of Public Safety Fire Bureau created a project to provide fire safety education to residents of high rise buildings, partially because the City is increasingly defined by high rise residences and office buildings.  The White Plains Fire Bureau created a Residential High Rise Fire Safety public service DVD that would raise awareness and educate the residents on fire safety. The DVD featured firefighters as actors at a local residential high rise building demonstrating fire safety practices. The DVD format presented a unique opportunity to provide information and education to a large segment of the population in an effective, innovative, and entertaining manner.

City of Peekskill (Winner)
County: Westchester County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (914) 734-8418

The Peekskill Boatworks was a hands-on boat building project in the summer of 2009. Eight high school students spent six weeks building a fourteen-foot wooden skill patterned after the rowboats used by Hudson River Fishermen during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The program was initiated by James Taylor, a retired school principal in partnership with the City of Peekskill Youth Bureau.

Village of Rhinebeck (Winner)
County: Dutchess County
Population: 50,000 +
Village Hall: (845) 876-7015

The purpose of the Heart Safe Initiative is to educate and train the Rhinebeck community about CPR and AED use. The program was the first community-wide effort in Dutchess County to address heart safety, and first to be recognized as doing so.

City of White Plains (Winner)
County: Westchester County
Population: 50,000 +
City Hall: (914) 422-6222

White Plains Public Safety is responsible for the safety of 57,000 residents plus 200,000 "day residents" that come to the city for employment, health care, education, and county services. It is reasonable to estimate that on any given day in White Plains, there may be 7,000 persons with mental illnesses.

Village of East Syracuse (Winner)
County: Onondaga County
Population: 5,000 to 10,000
Village Hall (315) 437-3541

According the U.S. Census, over 50% of the properties in the Village of East Syracuse are rental. Given that many of the properties in the Village are in close proximity to their neighbor, something had to be done to ensure that rental properties were maintained and that stable and responsible tenants were both attractable and retainable.

City of Albany (Winner)
County: Albany County
Population: 50,000 +
City Hall: (518) 434-5100

A comprehensive study released by the U.S. Fire Administration found the leading cause of death for firefighters to be heart attacks, which account for roughly 44% of all deaths. With these statistics in mind, the City of Albany created the Firefighter Wellness Program, designed to help significantly decrease firefighter morbidity, injury and mortality resulting from cardiovascular issues caused by an unhealthy lifestyle.

Village of West Carthage (Winner)
County: Jefferson County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: ( 315) 493-2552

The hydrant mapping project is the result of a partnership with Carthage Central School District, the Village of West Carthage and the West Carthage volunteer fire department. Envisioned in the fall of 2005 and completed in the summer of 2006, this project recognizes the value of knowing the exact location of fire hydrants during an emergency.

City of Cortland (Winner)
County: Cortland County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (607) 753-0872

The City of Cortland developed a unique strategy to strengthen the ties between the local police force and the community it serves. The Police Outreach Program, or POP, places officers and youths together in a recreational setting.  This joint effort between the Cortland Youth Department and Police Department serves primarily as a mentoring program for youth in the community, and has the effect of creating positive relations between young individuals and local law enforcement.

Village of Manlius (Winner)
County: Onondaga County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (315) 682-9171

The purpose of the Heart Safe Initiative is to educate and train the Rhinebeck community about CPR and AED use. The program was the first community-wide effort in Dutchess County to address heart safety, and first to be recognized as doing so.

City of Hornell (Winner)
County: Steuben County
Population: 5,000 to 10,000
City Hall: (607) 324-7421

Unlike many municipalities, the City of Hornell requires property owners to maintain the sidewalks adjacent to their lots. Even when meticulously cared for, the average sidewalk needs replacing every 20 years. The City of Hornell has developed a cost-sharing program to alleviate the high price of private labor and sidewalk replacement costs, without reclaiming full maintenance responsibility of these areas.  The city performs the replacement work at or very near to 50-60% of the cost of a private contractor.

City of New Rochelle (Winner)
County: Westchester County
Population: 50,000 +
City Hall: (914) 654-2000

The City of New Rochelle's Fire Department, combined with the assistance of the Office for the Aging and the Police Department, developed the Patient Assist Assessment Program to provide a referral system for calls needing follow-up services. The majority of calls for help required no additional assistance after the Fire Department's response.

Village of Lake George (Winner)
County: Warren County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (518) 668-5771

Faced with rising costs for its Police Department, the Village Board voted to merge with the Warren County Sheriff's Department in 1988. A decline in problems during the past decade, the installation of traffic lights, and innovative training of the Sheriffs, led to a reduction in summer staffing.