The Town of Crawford board voted unanimously at their September 17 meeting to promote patrolman and school resource officer Patrick Swayne to detective, filling a 10-month vacancy left open after former Detective Mike Hughes was promoted to sergeant.

Swayne joined the Crawford Police Department in November 2020 after serving four years with the New York City Police Department. He is a technical sergeant in the Air National Guard and holds a master's degree in criminal justice from Liberty University. Swayne will be officially sworn in at next month’s meeting.

In a separate personnel action, the board appointed retired officer Robert Ferrell as temporary dog control officer. Ferrell, who spent 20 of his 40 years in law-enforcement with the Crawford PD, volunteered to cover the role while Jake Ross, the regular dog control officer, recovers from eye surgery.

According to the department's August report, officers responded to 129 calls for service last month. Year-to-date call total 7,700, an increase of roughly 600 calls compared to the same period in 2025. While overall calls increased, adult arrests dropped to 173 for the year, compared to 219 at this time last year.

August's arrest log included 20 misdemeanors and two DWIs, and no felonies reported. Juvenile arrests stand at six for the year, compared to three last year.

Traffic enforcement saw an increase. Officers issued 313 citations in August, primarily for speeding, bringing the yearly total to 2,395, up from 1,910 last year. The town also recorded 11 traffic accidents last month, resulting in 10 instances of property damage and one personal injury.

Town Budget

The tentative 2027 town budget projects a 1.5% property tax spending increase, which stays within the state-mandated tax cap. The board scheduled a public budget workshop and a formal public hearing for October 15, 2026.

Town Infrastructure

Utility and infrastructure updates feature several scheduled projects. The town clerk received authorization to seek public bids for interior and exterior maintenance on the hilltop Aquastore Water Storage Tank. Technicians will also replace the digital Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) communications network that runs the water district.

On town roads, the highway department widened shoulders and leveled pavement on Connersville Road and completed milling work on Red Mills Road, with paving crews scheduled to finish this week.

Following the neighborhood noise complaint from a town resident regarding disturbances on school nights, town lawyers are drafting a revised noise ordinance for presentation at the next meeting.

Events

The supervisor’s office detailed the logistics required to manage three events that occurred simultaneously over the weekend of September 19-20. Main Street hosted the annual Harvest Fest, which featured 135 vendor spots, which meant that cyclists on a regional suicide awareness ride had to be rerouted along Wallkill Avenue, away from the downtown. Concurrently, the army base in Bullville hosted 100 guests for 9/11 memorial and flag-raising ceremonies.

The board approved the 38th annual Pine Bush Ambulance 5K Run/Walk for Sunday, November 1, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The Highway Department will vacuum loose gravel from recent road repairs before the race, and volunteer Pine Bush Fire and Police will manage traffic alongside four active ambulances.

For next spring, the townwide yard sale is scheduled for May 1, 2027, with the annual boat clean-up days running from May 13 to May 15, and the electronics cleanup day set for May 15, 2027.