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With his wife and three children by his side, Spinelli took the oath of office from Mayor Michael Cindrich. The ceremony was held at the start of the Village Board of Trustees' meeting.
Spinelli officially took over on Nov. 11, less than a day after the Village Board voted to appoint him. He was previously a sergeant and served as president of the local PBA.
In an interview, Spinelli recalled that he was one of four members of the Police Department who was interviewed of the position. Discussing his career, Spinelli said that he's been with the Mount Kisco Police Department for 13 years, including the last four as sergeant.
Spinelli's promotion to chief comes as the village and Westchester County are in talks for a potential police consolidation, which could result in local cops joining the county's Department of Public Safety.
Spinelli, who advocated in favor of the consolidation in his PBA president's capacity, reiterated his support for the idea when he spoke after the ceremony. He also supports continued study of the matter.
Spinelli discussed the uncertainty over whether his job will continue to exist should a consolidation with the county police happen.
“Everything remains to be still discussed,” he said.
However, Spinelli mentioned the possibility of the post remaining, although it would involve presiding over a smaller headcount. In this scenario, according to Spinelli, the patrol force would be part of the county while services such as parking enforcement and crossing guards would continue to be involved with a chief.
Although talks with the county are still ongoing, Spinelli discussed short-term measures policing priorities. As an example, he mentioned reassigning officers in response to concerns from residents about traffic violations, including speeding.
A video of Spinelli being sworn in is attached to this story.
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