New York State Awards or Commendations

 

  1999 Executive Chamber Proclamation by Governor Pataki 
An acknowledgement for outstanding
achievement within the New  York State Criminal Justice System, this is the first and only time a probation department has been so honored

The National Association of Counties NACO Achievement Awards Program is a non-competitive award program which seeks to recognize innovative county government programs.

The Westchester County Department of Probation is proud to have received NACo awards for the following programs:

1989:     Probation Electronic Home Monitoring Program

This program provides an Alternative to Incarceration and was deemed by the association as providing an “innovative solution” and commended the department on our “ingenuity and creativity in establishing this useful program.”

1990:   Special Operations Unit – Probation Warrant Enforcement Program

1990:   Juvenile Community Service

The Juvenile Community Service program provided a new dispositional option for juvenile delinquents before the Family Courts of Westchester County.  Prior to the inception of this program in 1988, there was no formal juvenile community service program in Westchester County.  Individual efforts to place juveniles at work sites were not successful.  The Juvenile Community Service program provides stringent accountability, on-site supervision, consistent public relations and well planned meaningful jobs as was specifically requested by the judiciary.        

1991:   Adult Community Service Program

1991:   New Beginnings – A Substance Abuse Program (a collaborative program with the Westchester Medical Center)

1992:   Direct Treatment Alternatives to Incarceration (DTATI–Bridge)

1992:   The Computerization of Economic Sanctions

1993:   Sex Offender Program

            The Sex Offender Program was developed in order to enhance the safety of victims and the public.  While many sex offenders are incarcerated, a growing number are being sentenced to probation.  These offenders pose a very serious threat to the community and present unique problems for effective supervision. This program addresses these problems by closely monitoring offenders through coordination of probation supervision, mental health treatment and a network of critical community contacts, such as the probationer’s family members, employer, landlord and the victim.

1995:   DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) Offender Enforcement Unit

            The DWI Offender Enforcement Unit provides aggressive, intense supervision of felony DWI offenders considered at high risk to reoffend, thus compromising community safety.  The unit’s operational plan and work schedule facilitates the strict monitoring of treatment and allows for field surveillance during non-traditional, high risk hours for this offender group.

1995:   Gang Related Intervention Program (GRIP)

            The Gang Related Intervention Program is a strategy to prevent and address gang involvement and gang-related violence in the cities of Mount Vernon and Yonkers.  Through intensive supervision it holds probationers accountable for their actions and through community resources builds competencies to enable them to live abiding lives.

1996:   The Staff Safety Committee

1997:    Linkages

            Linkages is a Westchester County coordinated initiative designed to provide mental health and substance abuse services to Juvenile Delinquents in an effort to avoid further involvement in the juvenile justice system and placement outside of the home.  The Linkages interdisciplinary team is comprised of Mental Health professionals, a Substance Abuse Counselor, and Family Court Probation Officers.  The team works closely together to provide clinical assessments, short-term individual, family, and group counseling, and linkage to needed service such as mentoring, tutoring, job training, student advocacy, and parenting classes.  The project serves youngsters in New Rochelle, Mt. Vernon, and Pelham.

1997:   Pre-Sentence Investigation Telecommute Program

            The Presentence Investigation Telecommute Program was conceived as a means to address serious problems with regard to high overtime and other expenses; quality of product; staff burnout; and limited office space by initiating a program whereby officers could do the bulk of their work at their homes while, at the same time, being accessible to their unit supervisors and the defendants, victims, police, and other individuals involved in the cases.  Through an integrated combination of computers at home; 24 hour voice mail service; “core” days for all staff to be in the office, as well as individualized interview days; sharing of workstations; usage of non-traditional work hours; close quality control; and a flexible, “let’s make it work” attitude and follow through on the part of every one from departmental administrators to line probation officers, we have made the program an unqualified success.

1998:    Supervised Visitation Program

            The Supervised Visitation Program provides a safe, secure, neutral, child friendly environment for children to visit with their non-custodial parent or caretaker who present an element of significant risk to the child’s safety and well-being.  The program serves to neutralize the risk factors during the visitation which may include domestic violence, sexual abuse, chemical dependency, mental instability or other risk issues resulting from a present or prior criminality.  The program, run under the auspices of the Westchester County Department of Probation serves residents county-wide at the two visitation centers of the Young Women’s Christian Association of White Plains and Central Westchester.  Transportation to the visitation centers is available as a program component. 

1996    Marilyn Etcheverry Award of Excellence awarded by the New York State Alliance of Sex Offender Service Providers to Westchester County Department of Probation Sex Offender
Treatment Program, for leading New York State in the development of quality sex offender services.

APPA:  Probation Officer of the Year

 

            Anthony J. Czarnecki - 1981

 

            James Candon 1995

Other Staff Awards

1995    Rocco A. Pozzi Commissioner
My Sister's Place (Westchester County New York) Victim Service Award

1997    Rocco A. Pozzi Commissioner
Middle Atlantic States Correctional Association Founders Award - June 1997

1997    Rocco A. Pozzi Commissioner
Criminal Justice Services Award from the Westchester and New York City Chapter of the American Committee of Italian Migration

1998    Nancy M. Lick, Chief of Planning, Research and Staff Development
Walter Dunbar Award presented by APPA for Contributions to the Field of Probation and Parole

1999    Rocco A. Pozzi Commissioner
Recipient of the Sam Houston State University Executive of the Year Award

1999    Rocco A. Pozzi Commissioner
Recipient of the Adelante Award from the Westchester Hispanic Law Enforcement Association

2000    Rocco A. Pozzi Commissioner
Recipient of the Walter Dunbar Memorial Award for significant contributions in the field of probation and/or parole by a practicing probation or parole professional.