Mount Kisco Swears in New Police Chief to Aid Consolidation
The Village of Mount Kisco swore in a new police chief this week and trustees plan to soon hire up to five new officers.
Former Scarsdale Police Chief John Brogan took the ceremonial oath on Sept. 8. The 62-year-old Poughkeepsie resident was appointed by the board in July. Brogan began working for the village on Aug. 17.
He said he was “very excited” about his new position and supported the recent consolidation of the village police force with the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, which he described as “cutting edge.”
Brogan plans to spend much time on parking issues and to assist in making the police consolidation as smooth as possible.
“There are going to be a number of transitional issues” as the consolidation continues to be implemented, Brogan said. “I’m happy to be a part of that.”
Mayor Michael Cindrich said two to five new officers would be hired by the village. The new officers would be responsible for parking enforcement, court security and some patrol, he said.
Brogan, a 38-year law enforcement veteran, served as chief of the Scarsdale Police Department for about 12 years, a force where he had worked nearly his entire career. Early on, he had brief stints with the New York City park police and as an officer in Newburgh.
Brogan said all of the officers who now work for the county and were formerly village employees came to introduce themselves and have helped him become acclimated with Mount Kisco.
“This is really an exciting opportunity,” he said. “This consolidation does not occur every day.”
Brogan said the consolidation is still in a state of transition and trying to plan for every contingency is nearly impossible to achieve.
“This is an opportunity for me to learn and for me to bring my skills to Mount Kisco and to help in any way I can,” he said.
Cindrich said the board chose Brogan because of his longstanding tenure in Scarsdale, climbing the ranks from patrolman to chief of police. He was also attractive to village officials because he’s supportive of entering into agreements to save money and make law enforcement more cost-efficient, Cindrich said.
Since he is receiving a police pension, Brogan said he will earn an annual salary of no more than $30,000 because he does not have a state waiver.
“We haven’t even discussed length of employment,” Brogan said. “At this time I’m filling in and I’ll take it day by day.”
