Yesterday, Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo announced that former NYPD chief Joseph D'Amico would head the NY State Police, saying, "Chief D’Amico brings extraordinary police credentials and a fresh perspective to the State Police, which will be a significant asset in re-establishing the good reputation of this distinguished force." The State Police has been embroiled in various scandals with previous governors—Pataki's State police head stopped a NYPD probe of his campaign finances, Spitzer had Troopergate, Paterson had the state police's involvement in his aide's domestic violence incident. The Post's editorial board says D'Amico will need a big broom. more ›

A state official confirmed that a retired state trooper who had headed former Governor Pataki's state police protection unit committed suicide. more ›

Governor David Paterson explained possible rumormongering by the state police was why he admitted his extramarital affairs and drug use shortly after taking office. Yes--Paterson was essentially afraid of the NY State Police! more ›

Yesterday, the Post reported about a strange and disturbing road rage incident in Red Hook last week. A woman was ultimately repeatedly hit by the driver of a Land Rover. more ›

This morning, federal agents have arrested over 50 members of the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno crime families in New York City, New Jersey, and Long Island. Authorities are calling this the "biggest mafia bust in more than 20 years." more ›

A terrible accident in the Bronx: Police believe that an SUV on East Tremont was speeding around 4AM when it crashed into a telephone pole and flipped over. 1010WINS says the vehicle was "ripped apart" at Commonwealth Avenue. Three men were ejected from the SUV and pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth passenger, a woman, died at Jacobi Hospital. more ›

The New York International Auto Show opened its Javits Center doors to the press today. While lots of car manufacturers were showing off more environmentally friendly models, one activist group made its distrust of Toyota's claims known. more ›

It won't be a White Christmas for some people. Yesterday, the Drug Enforcement Agency, along with the NYPD and NY State Police announced a tractor trailer carrying 1,045 pounds of cocaine bound for the Big Apple was seized in NJ. It was the biggest cocaine bust this year, with a street value of $42 million, and the truck was sitting next to a warehouse in Hackensack. From the DEA's press release:

The narcotics were destined for distribution in New York City. The drug shipment, hauled by a 1999 42-foot tractor trailer with Georgia license plates and bearing a Georgia logo, was concealed in an elaborate compartment at the base of the trailer. To conceal the narcotics, metal rails and sheathing running underneath the trailer were detached, and bricks of cocaine were secreted beneath at least 30 of the bays underneath the trailer. The rails and sheathing were then re-bolted to the sides of the trailer. It took hours for agents to extract the cocaine from the underside of the trailer.

Residents in NY and Pennsylvania breathed a huge sigh of relief when Ralph "Bucky" Phillips surrendered to police last night. Phillips is wanted in the shootings of three state troopers - one of whom died from his injuries - during his many months on the lam after breaking out of an Eric County jail. Phillips had been added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list (the NY Times noted, "just three names down from Osama bin Laden"), but police were able to track him yesterday when they found a car they suspected he had stolen and abandoned. The bloodhounds were able to track his scent, and Phillips surrendered from the Pennsylvania woods (right at the Penn-NY border) unarmed with helicopters and SWAT teams and US Marshals starting to surround him. more ›

The manhunt for Ralph "Bucky" Phillips, who escaped from an Erie County jail and shot three state troopers, may get some help from the NYPD. The NY Sun reports that the NYPD has been in discussion with the New York State Police to send over Emergency Service Unit officers (ESU is what the NYPD calls its SWAT unit) to aid in the manhunt. more ›

If you'd like a heartwarming story for your afternoon, read how a dog found wandering in Queens is now training to be on the K-9 Unit of the NY State Police. Found when he was tied up in Kissena Park, Duke the dog made such an impression at Brooklyn Animal Care & Control that shelter operations manager pegged him as being perfect for the K-9 Unit. The state police, who have adopted a stray dog for K-9 from Keller before, are interested, so Duke is bulking up and getting ready for the test. Go, shelter animals! more ›