Genesee County, New York Sheriff's Office

The Genesse County Sheriff's Office is the major local law enforcement agency between Buffalo, New York and Rochester, New York. It is headquartered in Batavia, New York. [http://www.usacops.com/ny/s14020/index.html USA cops web site] . Last accessed July 3, 2008.] [http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/dpt/sheriff/index.html Genesee County, New York Sheriff's Office main web page] . Accessed June 26, 2008.] It is one of the busiest law enforcement agencies in western New York State, responding to more "index crimes" than any other agency in the area, 641 in 2007 alone. [See [http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/crimnet/ojsa/indexcrimes/genesee.htm NY Division of Crminal Justice Services official web site Index Crimes Reported: 2003 - 2007] . Accessed June 26, 2008.]

Responsibilities

It is responsible for services such as: Law Enforcement, Emergency Communications, Civil Processes, Corrections, Community Services/Victim Assistance and Animal Control in the Genesse County Area. The Sheriff's Office also has an Investigation and Road Patrol Division.

Like most other states, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs in the State of New York are regular law-enforcement officers, [ [http://www.nysheriffs.org/ New York State Sheriffs' Association Website] ] with full police powers and duties such as patrol work, prisoner transport, civil process, and court security. [For a detailed list of the duties and rights of Sheriff in N.Y., see N.Y. County Law, article 17, sections 650-662, found online at [http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menugetf.cgi?COMMONQUERY=LAWS NYPublicLaw] , type in CNT, then Article 17.]

As in most counties in N.Y., the Undersheriff is the Warden of the county jail. [See N.Y. County Law, article 17, sections 652, found online at [http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menugetf.cgi?COMMONQUERY=LAWS NYPublicLaw] , type in CNT, then Article 17, and finally click on 652.] In Genesee County, the sheriff has ultimate authority to operate the 80-bed county jail, built in 1985."County Law, Article 17, Section 650, acknowledges the Sheriff as an Officer of the Court; Correction Law, Article 20, Section 500C, designates the Sheriff as custodian of the County Jail," from [http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/dpt/sheriff/jail.html Genesee County government web site Jail page] . Accessed June 26, 2008.] In this county, rather than an undersheriff, it is managed by a "jail superintendent" with 27 other employees and managers.

The sheriff's office is also involved in pre-trial and post-release supervision. [ [http://dpca.state.ny.us/genesee.htm NY State Division of Probation and Correctional Alternatives] . Accessed June 26, 2008.]

Elections and organization

Sheriffs in New York State (outside of New York City, Nassau and Westchester Counties) are elected for three or four-year terms, depending on the vote of the county government, specifically the county legislature. [N.Y. Constitution, Article 13, section 13. See [http://www.dos.state.ny.us/info/pdfs/cons2004.pdf] (pdf) at p. 41; see also [http://www.senate.state.ny.us/lbdcinfo/senconstitution.html] (html).] This office is unusual in NY state in that a superintendent, rather than a titutlar undersheriff, runs the jail.

The current sheriff is Gary T. Maha and the undersheriff is William A. Sheron, Jr.

History

In 1895, a constable working for this sheriff's office was slain in the line of duty, the only known fatal casualty. [ [http://www.odmp.org/agency/4940-genesee-county-sheriffs-office-new-york The Officer Down Memorial Page] . Accessed June 26, 2008.] He was William Harvey Johnson, then 44 years old, was shot by a person he was serving with an arrest warrant; the suspect then committed suicide. [ [http://www.odmp.org/officer/17427-constable-william-harvey-johnson The Officer Down Memorial Page on William Harvey Johnson] . Accessed June 26, 2008.]

The current Genesee County Jail was build in 1985.

In June 2008, the office investigated a notorious arson-murder in Batavia. ["UPDATE: Cause of fatal Genesee County fire determined" Updated: June 1, 2008 at [http://www.wivb.com/global/story.asp?s=8400198 WITV News report] . Accessed June 26, 2008.]

ee also

* List of law enforcement agencies in New York
* Sheriff
* Sheriffs in the United States

References

External links

* [http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/dpt/sheriff/index.html Genesse County Sheriff's Office (official site)] .
* [http://www.sheriffalerts.com/cap_main.php?office=54097 Sex offender registry at Sheriff's Alert web site]