Graduate In Criminology And Current UPS Driver, John Maraia, Voted In As Police Hire Before Attending Academy And Pending Medical and Fingerprint Results

Photo Credit: Image of Police Department and vehicle is from the City of Beacon Police Department Facebook Page.

On the night when cybersecurity professional Dustin Benedict was provisionally appointed before starting the Police Academy, which was the evening before the media reported that the City of Beacon had been victim of an alleged phishing-based hack that exposed numerous private documents from the computers of various departments including City Administrator, HR, and Finance, as well as personal documents of former employees including fire and police, the City of Beacon made a second provisional appointment of another police officer before he started the Police Academy: John Maraia, currently a UPS delivery driver and a graduate of SUNY Cortland with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology, lives in Mahopac and graduated from Yorktown High School.

These two hires leaves one more vacancy in Beacon's Police Department, a number seen as a triumph as the City of Beacon has struggled with retaining and securing officers. In December 2024, at the suggestion City Administrator Chris White, who suddenly retired in March 2026, Beacon began a $5,000 Referral Bonus program to incentivize new hires.

During the appointment of these two candidates by Chief Thomas Figlia, Councilperson Amber Grant clarified that this would close the gap to one vacancy left. "That's correct," the Chief replied.

"Are we going to have a party?" Councilperson Amber asked, which was followed by laughter.

"We'll have a party when there's zero vacancies," Chief Figlia answered.

The appointee John Maraia did not attend the evening in person, but was presented to be voted on. The Chief begin: "John's not here this evening because we are this close to completing his background check." The Chief made a tiny inch symbol with his index finger and thumb. "But we can't swear him in tonight. We would like to vote on him pending his completion of his medical and his background check because the next meeting is going to be too far away for us to get him in, get him his initial in-house training before the Academy, and get him to the Academy on the 14th of next month [September]."

In person, the Chief stated in his presentation before City Council: "He's passed the testing in the written form…We are waiting his results of his final phase of his background check, which is the fingerprints. They actually might have come back today, but the system was down all day. So, we kind of got a knife in the back on that one. The final part of his medical exam should be available probably by the end of this week.”

John was voted in pending his clearance of the incomplete requirements, pending the results cleared.

Beacon Provisionally Appoints IT And Cybersecurity Professional, Dustin Benedict, To Police Department Before Completing Police Academy

On Monday evening at the 8/17/2026 City Council Meeting, the night before the Highlands Current broke the story that the City of Beacon's computer files of multiple departments and retired employees had been hacked and published as a result of allegedly not responding to a ransom note, the City of Beacon hired Dustin Benedict, an IT and Cybersecurity professional and field technician from the local computer firm Fisch Solutions, before he attends or completed the Police Academy, making his appointment contingent upon that successful completion.

The hire is a professional appointment, as he needs to begin and pass the Academy, which will begin in September, Beacon's Police Chief Tom Figlia stated at Monday evening's City Council Meeting.

"Dustin has passed all of our rigorous testing, the agility, our background standards, including a polygraph and psychological assessment," Chief Figlia explained to the City Council. "I have selected he will attend in-house training until the beginning of the Academy in September. I request that we approve him for hire tonight.”

Dustin lives in the Town of Wallkill and graduated from the Newburgh Free Academy. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology with a Minor in Cyber Security from Mount St. Mary's College.

"Which are certainly skills that we could definitely use in the police department," Chief Figlia reflected.

The Chief then expanded on further connection between Fisch Solutions and the City of Beacon: "A fun little piece of Beacon history. When the founder of that company was 15, he created Beacon's first website.”

A second candidate, John Maraia, was also presented to be hired, and had passed all of his testing, but his background check of fingerprints was pending, as the system for that was down all day, the Chief said. "We kind of had a knife in the back on that one." He also would begin the Academy at a later date.

After Councilperson Amber Grant asked about the timing of the tests and checks for the appointment, City Administrator Ben Swanson said: "I would just add that the resolution for John does reflect that is contingent upon his successful completion of those two remaining items. So if either of those were not to be the case, then the resolution that you voted will ultimately be voting on in a moment would, even if it passes, would not appoint him successfully.

Councilperson Amber responded: "Okay. Yeah, I'm comfortable taking that approach based on just the timing constraints that are in place. And I know the Academy is only a couple of times a year. So as long as the resolution is as you said, clearly states that if those things don't come back as clear, that this person would not be appointed."

Beacon Police and Mental Health America Behavioral Specialist Help Woman At Loopers Plaza

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth

On Monday, December 2, 2024, at around 2pm, the Beacon Police said they "received a call for a welfare check on a suicidal female possibly in the area of 1020 Wolcott Avenue,” according to Police Chief Figlia in his press release published on Facebook.

That address is Loopers Plaza, home of All in One Food Mart, Sal’s Pizza, and other businesses. According to an employee of All In One Food Mart who saw the video of the woman and spoke to A Little Beacon Blog, the woman looked to be in her 20s and had come from the direction of Sal’s Pizza into All In One Food Mart. The employee said that they had never seen her before, that she was not a regular customer, but that it did seem like she was dealing with mental health issues.

The employee said that she entered the store by backing in, walking backwards, while holding a knife to her throat as Beacon Police were following her into the store to speak with her. According to the employee, she retreated to the back of the store by the coolers, still with the knife to her throat. An officer circled around to the back of the store, and approached her while she was standing at a food table under the TV in the middle of the store. She eventually put the knife down onto the table, the employee said, put her hands up, and was taken away by Beacon Police.

According to Chief Figlia’s press release:

“Beacon Police as well as our Mental Health America Behavioral Specialist [Lashaveous Dicker] located the individual there and found her calm but incoherent. While they attempted to speak with the individual she produced a kitchen knife from her pocket, held it to her own throat and then slowly retreated into the All In One Food Mart as officers continued to try to talk to her.

“At that point one group of officers evacuated an employee from the store while another entered and continued to try to engage and de-escalate the individual, though she was largely unresponsive. The second group of officers then also engaged with the individual and shortly after she dropped the knife. She was then taken into custody without further incident. At that time, it was discovered that she had what appeared to be a previously self-inflicted wound to her stomach. She was then transported to the hospital by ambulance for medical and mental health evaluation.”

Two weeks after this incident, while ALBB was interviewing the employee for this story, another woman - different from the the subject of this article - who was white was in the parking lot, also being slowly approached by at least two Beacon Police officers, who were trying to talk to her.

Police Referral and Signing Bonus Passes - $10,000 Per Hire Who Stays Longer Than 6 Months

The slightly revolving door of the Beacon Police Department just got a golden appliqué. At the December 16, 2024 City Council meeting, the Council unanimously passed a resolution presented by City Administrator Chris White for the payment of $5,000 to a member of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) who refers a Police Officer of New York State to the City of Beacon’s Police Department, and $5,000 to that Officer if they stay in the job longer than six months.

Salaries of Beacon Police Officers have also increased 5% since September 2024, when the Council voted unanimously to move the salaries to more closely match municipalities around the region.

Staffing Challenges

For over a decade, the Beacon Police Department has been understaffed. With 36 positions available, the department currently has 8 openings, with 2 out on injury, and 1 in the academy who is not yet able to serve on their shift. The constant demand for more officers to regularly patrol Main Street for traffic violations - either on foot or on bike or from sitting in the car - is difficult.

On August 19, 2024, Police Chief Thomas Figlia presented to the Council that the department was in what he called a “crisis,” with officers leaving Beacon for other municipalities with higher salaries. As reported by the Highlands Current, “Of the 31 police officers hired in Beacon since 2014, 12 have left for better-paying jobs elsewhere, Figlia said.”

Salary Differences

At the August 19, 2024 City Council Meeting, the Council unanimously agreed to pass a 5% raise for police salaries. The Starting Salary in 2025 would have been just over $61,000, according to the 2022-2025 PBA’s contract. According reporting by the Highland Current, salaries of the Town of Poughkeepsie were presented to Council, which showed that “a patrol officer in Poughkeepsie reaches his or her top pay of $106,414 after four years of service. In the Town of Poughkeepsie, it’s $113,300 after five years. In Beacon, a patrol officer hits the ceiling of $98,553 after six years. The 5 percent raise, which the council approved unanimously, brings the number to $103,481. The ceiling rises to $106,068 next year.” City Administrator Chris declared at the August 19th meeting before the vote that Beacon is no longer competitive with other nearby municipalities.

On August 19th, the 5% raises were passed, bringing the Starting Salary from $61,683 to $64,767 starting September 1, 2024. Then starting January 1, 2025, that would increase to $66,062, according to the Memorandum of Agreement between the PBA and the City of Beacon.

NYPD Recruitment

The hiring pool grew larger with recent changes in Civil Service law in New York State that allows Beacon to hire officers from the New York State Police Department (NYPD), City Administrator Cris stated during the meeting. “We've been interviewing a few.” He went on to voice his preference for recruiting NYPD officers: “The officers are kind of a close-knit community, and if we get one person from NYPD, that person has all of the contacts they worked with in the city and then can say they have a personal incentive to try to recruit them for us.”

Does The Referral/Hiring Bonus Combo Impact Retention?

This referral/hiring bonus combo is the latest attempt to fill the force with officers. However, it is not clear why this referral bonus would help retain an officer once hired. The bonus is paid out to the two parties after the officer has reached 6 months of employment. It would be helpful to know Beacon’s retention rate.

The public is informed of when new officers are hired or promoted, as they require a vote from Council. Retirements are also announced, as they are congratulatory and require new pension payments. But when officers are fired, demoted, or leave for another position, this development is not announced, and is reserved for Executive Session, which is closed to the public.

Workplace culture may also need some nurturing, as vacation days are encouraged to be “bought back” by the City and not used by the officers, as explained by City Administrator Chris on December 16th. He promoted vacation-days-for-cash, which encourages officers to not use their time but to sell their unused days. Workplace culture currently encourages time off for life balance and mental health. City Administrator Chris focused on getting “bodies in the door” during the meeting, a phrase which is not indicative of showing value.

Improvement to the facilities may also help. One or two budget cycles ago, then Police Chief Sands Frost mentioned the locker room at the Police Station being in need of an upgrade. With the new Fire Station across the street with the new geothermal floor, perhaps it is time for a little more comfort down at the Police Station.

With overtime being paid to members of the Highway Department to renovate the men’s 3rd floor bathroom at City Hall, perhaps renovations can be made to the Police locker room if there is another $50,000 paid by Central Hudson to Beacon to do more paving after Central Hudson completes work under the street in the Spring.

Or, if the $10,000 per new hire is not used for recruits, or sunsets on December 31, 2025, perhaps the lump sum can go toward renovations at the Police Station.

$5,000 Police Referral Bonus and $5,000 Signing Bonus Proposed To Attract NYPD And Others To Beacon

Photo Credit: City of Beacon Police Department

At the 12/9/2024 City Council Workshop, City Administrator Chris White proposed a hiring incentive of $5,000 referral bonus and a $5,000 sign on bonus to be paid to a member of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) who brings in a Police Officer of New York State. If approved at tonight’s City Council Meeting, this would be a pilot program and would run from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025, unless the City and PBA wanted to extend the program.

City Administrator Chris implied that he wanted to attract more officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD), and was interviewing one such officer now, who he hoped would spread the word to other NYPD officers if hired. “The officers are kind of a close-knit community,” City Administrator Chris told the Council, “and if we get one person from NYPD, that person has all of the contacts they worked with in the city and then can say they have a personal incentive to try to recruit them for us.”

There would be no limit to how many referral bonuses could be received if an officer was hired and stayed for 6 months. City Administrator Chris proposed: “If everything meets the requirements, they can do this numerous times, like more than one. It's not just you can only do it once if they have, like, four people and it all works out.”

People referring the officers would need to be a current member of the PBA in good standing, and would be paid after the officer stayed for 6 months. Both the referrer and the hire would be paid after the officer stayed for 6 months.

The City of Beacon’s Police Department has been short staffed for a number of years, since at least Randy Casale’s administration. The department is slated to have 36 officers, but there are currently 8 openings. Two officers are out on long-term injury; one in the academy is not available to shift yet; and another officer recently announced they are leaving for a state police job in February or March.

Per the contract with the PBA, there are minimum shift standards. If those are not met, then officers can work overtime to meet the standards. Beacon has budgeted $1 million dollars for Police overtime in the 2025 budget, City Administrator Chris explained.

Other incentives have been tried, he said, including raising wages for PBA by 5% in September, and an incentive bonus last year of $11,000. He also said they “tried to mitigate our use of overtime through allowing them to sell back vacation days.” City Administrator Chris said “if we could hire 8 people, that would cost us $880,000 and that would help to stem the the heavy use of overtime that we're forced to do just to meet the minimum shift standards.”

Going into vacation days, City Administrator Chris highlighted what they did in an old contract last year: “We had made it so that if you were here less than 7 years, you had to. If you use more than X amount of days, you had to bundle them into 5 days, and what it ended up doing was having people burn time. And for us, when somebody takes time off that they didn't need to take, it generates overtime. And instead, what we did is, we allowed them to break that up and then sell some of those days back. And that did help a little bit, but it's…unless we get more bodies in the door it's going to be hard.”

It was not clear what City Administrator Chris meant when he quantified the time as “time off that they didn’t need to take.” Since taking time off work is considered a benefit to one’s mental and physical health. Which does impact moral.

These bonuses would not be available to officers who the City hires through canvassing the Dutchess County Civil Service Police Officer list.

The full resolution can be accessed here.

Young Man Allegedly Shot Outside In Groveville, The Row House Community On Fishkill Avenue

Just before 6:45pm on Thursday evening October 24th, 2024, a person was allegedly shot outside in Groveville, which is the community of brick row houses across from Trax on Fishkill Avenue, which some people also call Rte. 52.

City of Beacon Police officers speaking with residents in the Groveville apartment community.

The driveway into the community splits three ways at first. Crime scene tape cordoned off an area from the first house on the right, to a house straight ahead with Halloween cobwebs and a glowing green light on the porch.

Upon ALBB’s arrival to the scene after the shooting, police were seen interviewing people at the house with the green porch light. Police were also scanning the first house on the right with flashlights. One officer also checked around the row of trashcans, before interviewing neighbors.

According to neighbors, Groveville is normally quiet. This evening was particularly quiet, one neighbor said, given that there were around 15 police cars that drove into the complex after the shooting. Neighbors expressed gratitude that the police arrived so promptly. Neighbors did not recall hearing any sirens.

According to neighbors, shots were fired, possibly 5 at close range, and a body was taken from the ground into an ambulance to St. Lukes in Newburgh. It was believed by neighbors that the person who was shot was a young man in his 20s who has a child around the age of 1, and was visiting someone in the Groveville community, and that he did not live there. Neighbors heard that he was in surgery in the hospital as of 7:15pm.

At first, neighbors did not know who the victim was, or the shooter. They were quite surprised that the shooting happened at all. But then texts started coming in as to who the victim was, and what his condition was at the hospital. Neighbors did not see anyone taken away in handcuffs, or a shooter identified. That does not mean that a shooter wasn’t taken into custody, or that other information is known about them. So far, there is no confirmed information about the shooter.

One officer had a rifle in his hand but police officers did not seem to be actively looking for a shooter after the victim had been taken to the hospital. Most officers were calmly interviewing residents, or looking for objects on the ground.

A City of Beacon Police Officer shining his flashlight around the trash can area near where the shooting allegedly took place.

An officer with the City of Beacon Police could not comment to ALBB on if there was a person shot, or if that person was in the hospital, or if the shooter had been apprehended.

A Little Beacon Blog contacted Police Chief Thomas Figlia for comment and confirmation of events, but has not received response yet. Chief Figlia did arrive on the scene by approximately 7:15pm or so.

Most residents driving home from their days seemed visibly confused at the police activity, and were surprised that a shooting took place.

This is a developing story. The City of Beacon Police will most likely issue a Press Release. When and if that happens, ALBB will republish it.

UPDATE: At around 10:30pm, the Beacon Police issued this press release.

City of Beacon Police Chief Thomas Figlia arriving on the scene.

Police Officers using a white truck that arrived.

Photo Credits for all photos: Katie Hellmuth