Wellsville Police to decommission local jail cells

Wellsville Police Chief Timothy O'Grady told the village board Monday night that he intends to decommission the three local holding cells. The cells have been in use for several decades and were used to hold prisoners for up to twenty-four hours until they could be arraigned by a judge. O'Grady cited New York's soon to be implemented bail reform act as the reason for his decision. Under the new law, nearly every person must be released on a court appearance ticket. A judge can no longer set monetary bail in most cases. O'Grady noted that since most arraignments will go away, the need for holding cell is diminished. He said the cell will no longer be used after January 1st. He said the cells will be converted into an evidence room and storage. The Chief noted that the use of the holding cells declined significantly after the Wellsville 911 Center was taken over by the county. Currently, the police department only utilizes local dispatch services Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.