To the Editor:

After reading the article in the April 17 Watertown Daily Times, it was clear the public officials in the Village of Canton have no idea what they are doing.

The article states that members of the police department will be interviewing for the chief of police position. The article stated that the interview committee would consist of Mayor Dave Curry and Trustee Sylvia Kingston. Both have liquor licenses.

This is a direct violation of the New York State ABC Law section 128 which states:

1. Except as otherwise provided in section one hundred twenty-eight-a, it shall be unlawful for any police commissioner, police inspector, captain, sergeant, roundsman, patrolman or other police official or subordinate of any police department in the state, to be either directly or indirectly interested in the manufacture or sale of alcoholic beverages or to offer for sale, or recommend to any licensee any alcoholic beverages. A person may not be denied any license granted under the provisions of sections fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-nine, sixty-three, sixty-four, seventy-nine, eighty-one, or article seven of this chapter solely on the grounds of being the spouse of a public servant described in this subdivision. The solicitation or recommendation made to any licensee, to purchase any alcoholic beverages by any police official or subordinate as hereinabove described, shall be presumptive evidence of the interest of such official or subordinate in the manufacture or sale of alcoholic beverages.

2. No elective village officer shall be subject to the limitations set forth in subdivision one of this section unless such elective village officer shall be assigned duties directly relating to the operation or management of the police department.

As sub-division two states, it is illegal for a village official who has a liquor license to have direct control and decision making over the police department. The paper stated interviews being conducted with mayor Curry and trustee Kingston present clearly violate the law. This brings up a couple of questions:

1. Who will issue tickets to the board members once the violation is committed ?

2. If Dave Curry is mayor of Canton, then he has direct decision making over the police department on a daily basis. This is another violation and as a result looks like he needs to step down from his post.

3. Are the police department members in the politicians’ pockets and above the law, which means the ABC violation does not matter?

Thank you for your time and I hope this information is brought to the publics attention.

Parker Barrett, Canton