Orange County Sheriff's Office gets $81,000 for surveillance van

GOSHEN-The Narcotics Investigation Unit of the Orange County Sheriff's office has been awarded an $81,000 grant for the purchase of a surveillance van. The funding was awarded under the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program and secured by state Sen. William J. Larkin Jr. (R-C-Cornwall-on-Hudson). The van will target narcotics and other operations, including the investigation and arrest of individuals involved in gang activity and the illegal possession of weapons. "The grant allocations will be used to acquire equipment that will enable our Narcotics Unit to assist local municipalities with their narcotics enforcement initiatives, crime reduction strategies and intelligence sharing capabilities," said Chief Criminal Investigator Gregory T. Gaetano. This grant program is named after New York City Police Officer Edward Byrne who was murdered by drug dealers. It was created to help state and local law enforcement prevent and control crime and violence.