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By June Mercer | November 4, 2026
The day after Election Day brought no new arrest releases from county agencies. It brought unofficial results for Dutchess County's top law-enforcement seat, figures from a Troop K traffic enforcement detail that ran the region Tuesday, and statewide Move Over numbers from an October campaign. Wednesday's public-safety picture in Dutchess County was less about criminal reports and more about traffic data and ballot tallies.
Troop K Issued 158 Citations in Tuesday Traffic Detail
State Police Troop K's Traffic Incident Management Unit ran an eight-hour enforcement detail on Tuesday, November 3, in Dutchess and Putnam Counties as part of Crash Responder Safety Week. The State Police release reporting the results was dated Wednesday, November 4. Troopers targeted aggressive and reckless driving that puts highway workers and emergency responders at risk.
The detail produced 158 traffic citations: 100 for speeding, 25 for Move Over Law violations, 2 for electronic-device violations, and 31 for other vehicle and traffic law violations. No individual defendants or court dates were named. State Police urged drivers to slow down, move over, stay alert, and give stopped vehicles plenty of space.
Sheriff Imperati Wins Unopposed; Democrats Poised to Hold Legislature Majority
Kirk Imperati ran unopposed on the Republican and Conservative lines to win a second four-year term as Dutchess County Sheriff. Imperati first won the job in 2022 with 58 percent of the vote, stepping into a seat that had been held by Adrian "Butch" Anderson until Anderson's death in 2021. Anderson had run unopposed for 20 years.
In the Dutchess County Legislature, Democratic candidates are poised to take 16 of the 25 seats, according to unofficial results posted by the Dutchess County Board of Elections. Democrats had held a 15-to-10 majority going into Tuesday's election. Majority Leader Yvette Valdes Smith thanked voters for their continued confidence in the Democratic majority. Minority Leader Mike Polasek said legislature Republicans will continue to advocate for county priorities. County Executive Sue Serino, a Republican, said the results do not change her approach and that she will continue to work across party lines.
In New York's 17th Congressional District, Rep. Mike Lawler conceded to challenger Cait Conley on Tuesday, about two and a half hours after polls closed and before the Associated Press called the race. In Dutchess County, Lawler led Conley 9,670 votes to 7,811. The district covers Putnam and Rockland Counties and parts of Dutchess and Westchester.
In neighboring Westchester County, officials planned to begin counting emergency ballots Wednesday at 11 a.m., following an Election Day scanner problem. County Executive Ken Jenkins said about 25,000 votes were caught up in that challenge. The state Attorney General's Election Protection Hotline operated Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at (866) 390-2992; complaints were also accepted online. The hotline has been in operation since November 2012. All results reported here are unofficial until certified.
State Issued 6,241 Tickets on National Move Over Day in October
The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee announced Wednesday that law enforcement statewide issued 6,241 tickets during the National Move Over Day campaign on October 17. The breakdown: 105 for Move Over violations, 323 for impaired driving, 1,123 for speeding, 150 for distracted driving, 158 for seatbelt violations, and 4,382 for other violations.
For all of 2025, law enforcement across New York issued 27,635 Move Over tickets. Through 2026 to date, 21,000 Move Over tickets have been issued statewide. DMV Acting Commissioner Christian Jackstadt said, "No one wants the expense or inconvenience of getting a Move Over ticket, but those who violate the law are putting the lives of others at risk." State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, "For our troopers, roadside safety is personal." Crash Responder Safety Week runs November 2 through 6; Wednesday is the third day.
Woman, 87, Killed in Three-Vehicle Crash in Putnam County
A three-vehicle collision in the Town of Southeast killed an 87-year-old Brewster woman early Tuesday morning. State Police from the Brewster barracks responded at about 7:20 a.m. to the scene near 3402 Danbury Road.
Helen T. Gambino, 87, of Brewster, had stopped at a stop sign on Dingle Ridge Road and was turning left onto Danbury Road when her 2024 Subaru was struck by an eastbound 2015 BMW driven by Caua Dos Santos Rocha, 19, of Danbury, Connecticut. The Subaru overturned into the center median. The BMW then struck a 2009 Honda driven by Devin S. Reynoso, 23, also of Danbury.
Gambino was taken to Danbury Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Rocha suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Reynoso was not injured. No charges have been filed; State Police did not name a court date or request public information.
Troop K to Host Annual Toy Drive on December 11
New York State Police Troop K is partnering with K104 and Toys for Tots for its annual "Stuff the Airboat" toy drive for local children and families in need. The event is Friday, December 11, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Troop K Headquarters, 2541 Route 44 in Salt Point, Dutchess County. New, unwrapped toys may be dropped off at any State Police barracks within Troop K or brought directly to the event.
No New Local Agency Releases
As of publication, no release dated November 4 has come from the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's newest release on file remains the October 30 Drug Task Force arrest. No releases were found from the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the Hyde Park Police Department, the Beacon Police Department, the Fishkill Police Department, or the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office as a standalone release. No new Troop K Dutchess County arrest release dated November 4 was found in the State Police newsroom.
Sources
- Source: New York State Police
- Source: The Highlands Current
- Source: The Highlands Current
- Source: Poughkeepsie Journal
- Source: lohud
- Source: New York Attorney General
- Source: Governor's Traffic Safety Committee via EIN Presswire
- Source: New York State Police
- Source: New York State Police
- Source: New York State Police
Charges are accusations; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
