A proposal to hire Binghamton residents part-time to act as security officers patrolling the streets was not met warmly by Binghamton Police. Councilman Bill Berg originally proposed the idea to have uniformed residents patrol the streets, either on foot or in city vehicles, to have more eyes on the street and increase patrol hours. Lieutenant Scott Patrick of the Binghamton Police said that auxiliary forces, similar to the ones used in New York City, can’t enforce the law, and he also said that the proposal places untrained residents in potentially dangerous situations. The council says that the proposal was intended to help the police in any way they can. Their next meeting is scheduled for today.
