Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the New York State Correctional Officer and Police Benevolent Association is calling for the lockdown of Greene Correctional Facility, citing an increase in contraband as the reason. Security measures at the state prison have been lax during the pandemic, union vice president Chris Moreau said. In the month of November, seven cellphones and 17 makeshift weapons were recovered. Guards also found synthetic marijuana, homemade alcohol and vials of septocaine, a local anesthetic often used in dental procedures. “With the pandemic, the frisking, the security aspects have become a little more lax as we try to keep distance between staff and inmates,” Moreau said. “Unfortunately, that comes at the detriment of security. It’s become quite apparent the facility is absolutely littered with contraband.” The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision spokesperson Thomas Bailey said a lockdown is not warranted. He said, “DOCCS staff, including its K-9 units, continue to be vigilant in searching for and finding drugs and other contraband and keeping it out of our facilities. The department continues its ongoing review of policies and procedures, as well as its strategic searches when appropriate. When someone is found introducing contraband we hold them accountable and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. At this time, there has been no significant event or trigger to warrant a lockdown of the facility.” The facility ranks second among state correctional facilities for the number of COVID-19 cases in the facility population. Fishkill Correctional Facility has reported 605 cases to date and Greene has reported 162, according to DOCCS' website. Greene Correctional did not have any active coronavirus cases as of December 8. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.