WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2003 CHRONICLES. From The Cantatore Press Office. October 23, 2003: Frank Cantatore said today that a report on the County’s inmate work program at Hudson Hills proves he was right for calling for its suspension.

“The report that just came out proves without a doubt that the County’s inmate work program has many major flaws and lapses.  The inmate who escaped, Louis Cortalano was left alone without supervision for over 2 ½ hours before correction officers noticed he was gone. The County Executive is quoted as saying in a recently published article on the subject “[He] thought the County had standard operating procedures that people were following.” His statement was made before the Board of Legislator’s committee on Public Safety, which coincidentally is Chaired by my opponent, Bill Ryan," Cantatore said, in a statement.

"The fact is that Bill Ryan as Chairman of the Public Safety committee should have known about a program that takes dangerous criminals outside of the jail, to areas such as Hudson Hills golf course, where there are no bars or jail cells. For someone like Mr. Ryan, who touts his public safety achievements at every opportunity, in his literature as well as in public, to the point where I am expecting any day now for him to claim credit for the McGruff character on PSA’s which promote public safety for children. He has once again failed the people of White Plains and Scarsdale. This time it placed an innocent bystander at risk of losing her life. But instead of taking the blame, Mr. Ryan was nowhere when it came to making comments on this very serious issue”, said Cantatore.

“Rather than hailing his so called accomplishments in Public Safety, Mr. Ryan should be assuming responsibility. He should use his office to assure that what happened recently will never happen again. That’s true leadership. The residents of Westchester deserve nothing less, and I will provide it,” said Cantatore.