Mount Pleasant Town Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi says state child welfare officials have removed 15 children with severe psychological and behavioral issues from the JCCA Cottage School.

It comes after pleas from the town and police to close the school.

They say it has an open campus model that has allowed kids to leave at any time and get into trouble.

Between the start of the year and July 20, they say police received 911 calls for nearly 200 runaways ages 12 to 17.

Fulgenzi says state representatives have told him the JCCA is revising its intake procedures and that the state will visit more often.

Ronald E. Richter, Chief Executive Officer of JCCA, one of New York’s oldest child and family services organizations providing child welfare and mental health services, issued the following statement: “For over a century, JCCA has been dedicated to caring for youth in need, including those with acute behavioral and psychological needs on our Westchester Campus. Supervisor Fulgenzi's comments are not new, and we remain focused on creating a safe and supportive environment. We are licensed by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, and our program model adheres to state guidelines. The data that Supervisor Fulgenzi provides continues to be misleading. We remain committed to collaboration. JCCA aims to work with all stakeholders, including state and local authorities, to improve safety and services for New York's most vulnerable children.”