Sheriff's Office

Press release:

Genesee County Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. would like to remind the public that one of the many roles of Genesee Justice, a division of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, is to provide assistance to crime victims, including domestic violence victims.

For more information, please contact Genesee Justice, located at 14 W. Main St. in the City of Batavia, (585) 815-7821.

Information from the Genesee Justice Web Page:

Becoming a victim of a criminal act is often a traumatic and disorienting experience for individuals. Victims are faced with an increased sense of vulnerability and threat to their personal autonomy and independence. Victims can also question their beliefs on safety and the order that they have come to expect from the community that they live in.

Genesee Justice works with victims to help them attain a more personal sense of justice. The investigation and prosecution of offenders within the criminal justice system is complex and foreign to most people, particularly as to how it impacts victims. Dignity doesn’t often come easy within the courtroom or the community. We encourage victims to empower themselves, which is critical to the healing process.

We will keep victims informed of what is happening with the investigation of the accused and guide them through any role they may need to play; we will take the time to explain to victims what they can expect during the proceedings of a case when it goes into court; we will accompany victims to any process and court proceedings; and we will assist victims in seeking counseling services; we will also help to address financial losses incurred as a result of the crime, including assisting victims in filling out applications for the New York State Office of Victim Services (OVS), if they are eligible.

The OVS helps victims with unexpected or unaffordable medical or funeral expenses, loss of work and counseling services.

A victim may be referred to Genesee Justice by the District Attorney’s Office, Family Court, or Law Enforcement. Our door is always open for victims to walk in themselves.

Victim Assistance Services include:

• Assistance in filing Office of Victim Services application;
• Provide information on VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) and assist victim with VINE registration, if interested;
• Provide updates on status of court case;
• Assistance in preparing pre-sentence investigation packet:
  • Restitution information
  • Victim impact statementProvide home visits
• Refer clients to appropriate agencies for further assistance;
• Assistance in preparing right of allocution; (the victim’s right to speak in front of the Court at sentencing)
• Assistance in preparing application for orders of protection;
• Assistance in filing paperwork with surrogates court;
• Accompaniment to court appearances;
• Provide referrals for counseling;
• Provide referrals for emergency items if needed by victims;
• Assistance in writing letters to Parole Board;
• Offer opportunity for victim/offender conference if desired by the victim.

Our apologies to Sgt. Eric Seppala and the Genesee County Sheriff's Office for not publishing this when it was sent over on March 1. That was a very busy few-day period and I had a hard time keeping up and this got lost in my inbox.

Press release:

Sergeant Eric K. Seppala, a 21-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, retired at the end of his shift today. Seppala started his career with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 17, 1996, as a Correction Officer in the Genesee County Jail. On May 15, 1999, he was appointed a Deputy Sheriff and then promoted to Sergeant on Jan. 18, 2014.

During his tenure, Eric earned six Commendations; was assigned to the Crash Management Team; was a Field Training Officer; and was instrumental in the research of acquiring rifles for the patrol vehicles.

“Sergeant Seppala has always been a very dedicated, professional officer,” stated Sheriff William Sheron. "Everyone here at the Sheriff’s Office will truly miss Eric and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Press release:

Genesee County Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. hosted a meeting last week with Genesee County school superintendents, local police officials, local government representatives, along with state representatives Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer, to discuss school safety concerns and the viability of having School Resource officers within each school district.

"School Resource officers can play an important role in our school districts, from helping to resolve conflict to preventing tragedies," said Senator Ranzenhofer.

"I fully support placing these officers in our local school districts, and I have been working to secure state funding to expand School Resource officers in Genesee County and across New York State. I commend Sheriff Sheron for his leadership on this issue, and I will continue to work with him to keep our children safe."

While it was the consensus of most of those in attendance that there should be a School Resource Officer in each school within the county, concerns were expressed of how to fund the position and identifying the source of this funding.

The attendees discussed a variety of possible federal, state and local options and agreed to explore funding sources to offset the cost of the potential School Resource officers.

“I was pleased to meet with Sheriff Sheron, local educators and community stakeholders to discuss how we can increase school safety," said Assemblyman Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia). "The state needs to take action to help our schools become the most secure and comfortable environments they can be.

"We need to look at working with retired law enforcement and veterans in our schools because our children’s safety should be our number one priority.”

Currently, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office has School Resource officers at the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership’s (BOCES) Batavia Campus (for the past 15 years) and in the Byron-Bergen Central School District (for the past three years).

Additionally, the Village of Le Roy Police Department provides a School Resource Officer to the Le Roy School District, and the Batavia City School District has security aides within its facilities.

During the meeting, representatives from Genesee Valley Educational Partnership’s (BOCES) Batavia Campus and the Byron-Bergen School District spoke highly about the advantages of having a School Resource Officer.

They explained that it not only provides a safe environment for the students and faculty but also provides for direct interaction and guidance with the students.

Both officials agreed that the benefits of having a School Resource Officer far outweigh the expense associated with the position.

“When we started our SRO Program 15 years ago, the prevailing question was, 'Why?' " said Christopher Hayward, Le Roy Police Chief. “With everything that has happened in the last 15 years, and sadly will continue to happen, the question has to be, ‘Why not?' "

Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch stated, “the City Police Department remains dedicated to the safety and security of all schools within its district. The time has come for the lawmakers in this state to step up and allow school districts to utilize their aid in establishing programs that make sense on a local level.

"This type of flexibility would go a long way to allowing each district in Genesee County to partner with local law enforcement to provide a School Resource Officer.”

Sheriff Sheron stated that it his goal to establish a School Resource Officer in all county schools to ensure the safety and protection of the students and faculty.

“Although the cost associated with placing a School Resource Officer in the schools is significant, I believe the safety and security of our children should be of the utmost precedence,” the sheriff said.

Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputies will be visiting schools on a regular basis and assist during school safety drills. This will aid in familiarizing Deputies with the school’s faculty and students along with the layout and procedures of each school.

Submitted photos. Top photo, Deputy Matt Butler, resource officer for Byron-Bergen, discusses his job with officials.

Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer, left, Sheriff William Sheron, right.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Press release:

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office would like to warn the public of a scam involving personal medical information.

Perpetrators of this scam contact local residents by telephone and attempt to elicit medical history / records. The information is then used to fill out prescriptions which are sent to medical offices for refill. Once signed, these prescriptions are being used to bill insurance companies.

The origins of this scam are unknown at this time but the scam is under investigation and it is, quite likely, a multiple-state crime.

The Sheriff's Office would like to remind local residents NOT to provide personal or medical information over the telephone.

Remember, thieves can appear to be very knowledgeable and convincing in nature. It is important to contact your local physician or pharmacy if you believe such information has been compromised.

Deputy Ryan DeLong talks about the decision-making process during stressful, emergency situations that people might encounter during a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events class at St. Paul Lutheran Church this morning.

More than 100 people attended the class, which covered a range of emergency situations, with an emphasis on active shooters, and how people can safely and intelligently respond during such events.

For more background information on the class, click here.

If you missed the class, Frank Klimjack, a Batavia police officer, will present a class called "Do I Need A Bodyguard?" at Grace Baptist Church, 238 Vine St., Batavia, at 6:30 p.m., Feb. 25. Klimjack is a police defensive tactics instructor.

Batavia's St. Paul Lutheran Church will cap off a week that has focused the nation's attention once again on the tragedy of mass shootings by hosting a special countywide training event tomorrow at its Washington Avenue church.

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office was invited to present training in CRASE -- Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events. Starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, congregation leaders will learn how to prepare and respond to an active shooter situation, should one occur at their respective houses of worship.

St. Paul Pastor Allen Werk, who has also served as the Sheriff's Office chaplain for about five years, attended national training in order to return to his community and in turn help train others. It is useful for schools, congregations and businesses alike -- open places that may be easily accessed by someone intending to harm people.

"This training affords congregation leaders the opportunity to come together to talk about ideas they may want to implement in their own churches should the unthinkable occur," Werk said in a press release. "We pray this will help all our churches be better prepared if the inconceivable happens."

CRASE Training addresses individual responses as well as group preparations. It has been developed in partnership with Texas State University and is funded in part by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Werk says the cornerstones are ADD -- Avoid / Deny / Defend. Participants are taught to quickly recognize a threat and to take evasive action by getting away swiftly or rapidly taking steps to deny access to a shooter, then defending lives in any way necessary.

"The training teaches you what happens, what to expect in an active shooter situation," Werk said, adding that it is beneficial in getting larger groups to think about this, to be aware of the potential, and what steps to take in response.

For example, the leaders of a congregation may want to limit access to worship services to one or two entryways, effectively funneling the foot traffic. They may consider the benefit of having greeters and ushers who are trained to keep an eye on who's coming and going in the building throughout the service; noticing and greeting a person -- a signal they have been seen -- in itself could be a deterrent in some cases, the pastor noted.

Taking cues from how others are responding in a public space is important.

"If you see something that could be a danger -- step up -- make the congregation aware, help provide safety," Werk said.

Asked if certain individuals should be armed, like a security detail, to counter an active shooter, Werk said that is not part of CRASE Training; and although it's widely argued that "a good guy with a gun" is what you want to have when a bad guy is wielding a firearm, Werk said that is something the organization itself must decide.

"We are pleased to assist Pastor Werk in educating congregation leaders on the appropriate actions to take should an active shooter situation arise," said Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. in a press release.

Our news partner WBTA contributed to this story.

Press release:

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office will be offering its first annual Teen Academy July 23 – 27 at the Byron-Bergen Central School.

“The Teen Academy is a one-week structured program which consists of instructional classes designed to provide high-school-aged students within our community an introduction to law enforcement training and gain an understanding of law enforcement’s role in their community," said Sheriff William Sheron. "It is our hope that teens will build confidence while learning good decision-making and leadership skills."

Academy instructors are experienced Deputy Sheriffs who will discuss day-to-day operations of the Sheriff’s Office.

Participants will also:

• visit the Jail, 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Dispatch Center, and Sheriff’s Office;
• observe displays of the Emergency Response Team (ERT), Hostage Negotiation, SCUBA Team, K-9 Unit and Evidence Recovery;
• be provided insight into motor-vehicle accident reconstruction;
• participate in daily physical fitness runs, defensive tactics and team-building exercises;
• participate in a classroom setting and learn about the  NYS Penal Laws and Vehicle & Traffic Laws;
• participate in mock traffic stops and DWI procedures.

Qualified candidates will be selected for an interview screening process if they meet the following requirements:

• must be entering grades 10-12;
• must be in good academic standing with little to no disciplinary issues;
• must be able to participate in physical fitness activities;
• must have a positive attitude;
• must have their parent’s permission.

“This is a unique and forward-thinking opportunity offered by Genesee County Sheriff Sheron and the Department; Teens are invited to immerse and be exposed to the real law enforcement experience," said the chair of the Public Service Committee.

"More than imagining, the academy opportunity is live, in-the-minute learning about today’s community policing needs of an exciting career in law enforcement. Students are encouraged to ‘try on’ a law enforcement career role.” 

There is no charge to attend the academy. Application deadline is March 30.

For more information, contact Deputy Matthew Butler at (585) 345-3000, ext. 3252, or (585) 494-1220, ext. 2304, or via e-mail at matthew.butler@co.genesee.ny.us

Visit http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/sheriff/index.php to learn more and download an application.

Investigator Pete Welker, a longtime member of the Local Drug Task Force, was named Officer of the Year by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office during an awards ceremony and luncheon today.

Senior Corrections Officer Kevin D. Wolff received the Distinguished Service Award.

Press release:

Officer of the Year Award – Investigator Ronald “Pete” Welker
Investigator Ronald “Pete” Welker has distinguished himself in the performance of service to the citizens of Genesee County during 2017. His professional skill and devotion to duty has been epitomized in his unfailing dedication to detect and arrest those responsible for drug dealing; his ability to cooperatively work with other agencies, particularly the City of Batavia Police Department; his fundamental orientation to public service and his willingness to teach others.

Investigator Welker’s efforts have made a significant contribution to the overall success of the Genesee County Drug Task Force which, in 2017, has had its most successful year in terms of defendants arrested. During this year, Investigator Welker’s daily performance has been a major contribution to the effectiveness, success and esteem of the Sheriff’s Office.

Investigator Ronald “Pete” Welker has reflected great credit upon himself and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and most deserves to be named Officer of the Year.

Distinguished Service Award – Senior Correction Officer Kevin D. Wolff
Senior Correction Officer Kevin D. Wolff has distinguished himself as a member of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. Senior Correction Officer Wolff has been a positive force within the jail division. He has taken the lead in training new officers and monitoring the JTO program for the last four years. He has been instrumental in working with New York State Commission of Corrections staff during cycle evaluations and, thereby, helping to obtain and maintain good reviews and good rapport with them.

Kevin has, for the past three years, been working with the New York State Police within their Field Intelligence Officer Program and has provided excellent information both to them and to the department through that venue. Senior Correction Officer Wolff has also recently taken the lead in working with auditors from the New York State Sheriffs’ Association in accomplishing Accreditation of the Jail Division later this coming year.

Senior Correction Officer Wolff’s knowledge and attention to detail have proven to be a great asset to the Department, and through his work, he has distinguished himself and brought great credit upon himself and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputy Ryan Young received a Commendation.

Among the dispatchers receiving commendations were Communications Coordinator Russell L. Lang Sr., Emergency Services Dispatcher Michael T. Sheflin, Emergency Services Dispatcher Nathan L. Fix, and Services Dispatcher Andrew Merkel.

Meritorious Service awards went to deputies Eric Meyer, Kevin Forsyth, Michael Lute, Ryan DeLong.

Meritorious service awards were given to several dispatchers Jason Holman, Steve Robinson, Jenna Bauer and Kelly Smith.

Members of the Local Drug Task Force were honored for their work in 2017, which set a record for arrests. Present were Emily McNamara, from Le Roy PD, Investigator Pete Welker and Sgt. Brad Mazur.

Senior Correction Officer Kevin D. Wolff, center, with his family, Jail Superintendent William Zipfel, Sheriff William Sheron, and Undersheriff Gregory Walker.

Pete Welker with his family and Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster, Sheriff William Sheron, and Undersheriff Gregory Walker.

Longevity awards were given to:

• Correction Officer Michael A. Cox, 10 years
• Animal Control Officer Agnes S. Jaroszewski, 15 years
• Program Coordinator Catherine T. Uhly, 15 years
• Correction Officer Michael F. Lindsley, 15 years
• Sr. Emergency Services Dispatcher Robert H. Tripp, 15 years
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Beth A. Hynes, 15 years
• Correction Officer Kelly P. Creegan, 15 years
• Investigator Christopher A. Parker, 20 years
• Deputy Sheriff Matthew R. Butler, 20 years
• Deputy Sheriff Lonnie A. Nati, 25 years
• Deputy Sheriff Dana J. Richardson, 25 years
• Sergeant Thomas A. Sanfratello, 25 years
• Undersheriff Gregory H. Walker, 30 years
• Jail Superintendent William A. Zipfel, 35 years
• Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr., 40 years

Certificates of Appreciation:

• Batavia Police Detective James M. DeFreze
• Le Roy Patrolman Emily J. McNamara
• Batavia Patrolman Jason A. Davis
• Batavia Patrolman Frank J. Klimjack
• Batavia Patrolman Christopher J. Lindsay
• Genesee County Assistant District Attorney Kevin T. Finnell

Commendations:

• Deputy Sheriff Kyle D. Krzemien
• Correction Officer Justin M. Gugel
• Correction Officer Jason M. Buck
• Deputy Sheriff James D. Stack
• Deputy Sheriff Ryan W. Young
• Deputy Sheriff Jeremy M. McClellan
• Deputy Sheriff Mathew J. Clor
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Stephen R. Smelski
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Zackery W. Czudak
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Samantha L. Conibear
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Andrew Z. Mullen
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Frank A. Riccobono
• Dog Control Officer Ann Marie Brade
• Deputy Sheriff Dana J. Richardson
• Deputy Sheriff Matthew R. Butler
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Andrew K. Merkel
• Sergeant Bradley D. Mazur
• Deputy Sheriff Howard O. Wilson
• Sr. Emergency Services Dispatcher Michael T. Sheflin
• Sr. Emergency Services Dispatcher John W. Spencer
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Nathan L. Fix
• Correction Officer Vincent S. Maurer
• Investigator James M. Diehl
• Investigator Andrew B. Hale
• Sergeant Eric K. Seppala
• Communications Coordinator Russell L. Lang

Meritorious Awards:

• Deputy Sheriff Eric J. Meyer
• Deputy Sheriff Michael J. Lute
• Deputy Sheriff Kevin P. Forsyth
• Deputy Sheriff Ryan M. DeLong
• Investigator Chad J. Minuto
• Case Manager Nicole M. Easton
• Financial Clerk-Typist Tracy L. Ranney
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Kelly E. Smith
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Beth A. Hynes
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Jenna L. Bauer
• Sr. Emergency Services Dispatcher Jason W. Holman
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Peggy D. Richardson
• Emergency Services Dispatcher Steven L. Robinson
• Principal Financial Clerk Margaret A. Sheelar
• Sr. Correction Officer Robert W. Mattice
• Sr. Emergency Services Dispatcher Robert H. Tripp

High school students in Genesee County are going to be offered an opportunity to learn about law enforcement through a new program in the Sheriff's Office called Teen Academy.

If the pilot is successful, it will become a regular program for the Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff William Sheron presented the idea to the Public Service Committee yesterday.

He said the idea was brought to him by the resource officer at the school, which he modeled after a program in Monroe County.

Each academy will be a week long and will include visits to the jail, the 911 Center, and the Sheriff's Office. Participants will get to see the emergency response team in action, learn about hostage negotiation, the K-9 program, and evidence recovery.

There will also be daily physical fitness runs, defensive tactics training, and team building exercises. The students will also receive classroom training in penal law and the state's traffic laws. Finally, students will participate in mock DWI stops and procedures.

The program is free to students selected to participate. There will be up to 15 students per academy.

Classes will be held at Byron-Bergen High School.

Eligible students are juniors or seniors in good academic standing with little or no disciplinary issues. They must be able to participate in physical fitness activities. Students need to have a positive attitude. Qualified students will be interviewed and screened.

"I think in today’s day and I age, I think we need to try to get our youth more involved with police officers to see what the role of law enforcement really is rather than what is depicted in the news media all too often," Sheron said. "It’s also a great recruiting tool."

CORRECTION: This story originally stated that the program would be available only to students at Byron-Bergen in the first class. That was incorrect. It will be open to students from all of the high schools in the county. Classes will be held at Byron-Bergen.

Increasingly, police officers must deal with people who have mental health issues, so to help them do their jobs better, Sheriff William Sheron is seeking additional training for his deputies.

Sheron, along with Undersheriff Greg Walker, a sergeant, and a deputy chief, will meet with officials from the Mental Health Association next week to kick off a training program.

The goal is to have all the deputies receive some training and have several deputies on each shift who are part of a crisis intervention team.

Part of the program, Sheron told members of the Public Service Committee yesterday, will be identifying what resources are currently available and what services are missing or deficient.

One goal is to help reduce the number people with mental health issues who wind up in the jail.

Former Sheriff Gary Maha, now a legislator and member of the committee, said he certainly understands the need for the program.

"Sometimes we end up putting them in jail because we don’t know what else to do with them sometimes when it's only minor charges," Maha said. "If there is a way to steer a person to an option other than going to jail it’s certainly beneficial to all of us."

Sheron anticipates grant money being available for the training, especially for the crisis intervention team, so he will be coming back to the Public Service Committee at a later date with a request to accept such a grant.

In the time the world has gone from rotary phones to smartphones, and the nation has gone from Nixon to Trump, and Adam-12 and Kojak on network TV to viewers streaming Fargo and True Detective, Gordon Dibble has lived out a career in law enforcement.

Not much has changed in 43 years, though.

Dibble said the thrill for cops is still in catching the bad guys.

"Well, you know, the best part about it, and it sounds funny, but we all get in this job to catch the bad guys," Dibble said during his retirement party Friday at the Sheriff's Office. "That's really what we're here for. So, so many times you know who's done the crime. You can't prove it. You can't get them. And that's the most frustrating part.

"But when you're actually involved in catching one of them, physically catching them, like you chase them and you know it is somebody who you know did something wrong, and you know you know, and you get to chase them and maybe physically catch them, I think that was one of the more rewarding things that a guy (in law enforcement) will do."

Dibble feels fortunate to spent his entire career with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

He was hired Jan. 6, 1973, by then-Sheriff Roy Wullich, who was six days into his new job, making Dibble his first hire. Dibble, who spent four years in Chicago going to college and getting a degree in corrections, was assigned -- like all new deputies then -- to the jail. After a year, he was transferred to road patrol. After five years on the road, he became the juvenile officer. Then, in 1996, he was put in charge of road patrol with the title of chief deputy.

For a lot of people who work in law enforcement, they call it a career after 21 years. That's how long Dibble headed up road patrol after already putting 22 years in the Sheriff's Office.

"I think that people in this line of work," Dibble said, "they're either the 20-and-out type of people and they're going to maybe go do something different or you're here, you know it, and maybe hopefully become the sheriff or the undersheriff or whatever. You know I think that those are pretty common tracks.

"I was lucky," Dibble added. "I mean, I got different things to do and not everybody gets to do that. There are a lot of great people here that don't get those opportunities because it's just a small department."

Dibble said he was also lucky to work in the kind of job where you never know what your workday is going to be like when you show up at the office. Every day is different and unpredictable. That made 43 years go by fast.

"I know when I worked in factories that clock never moved on a wall," Dibble said. "But this job, you know, days went by, weeks, and months went by, years went by like nothing," repeating with emphasis, "like nothing."

During his farewell speech, Dibble said he felt lucky to work with a lot of good people, not just in the Sheriff's Office, but with Batavia PD, Le Roy PD, State Police, the County Legislature, and other agencies that interact with local law enforcement, and even the local media.

"That's why small towns are great," Dibble said. "Everybody knows everybody and we all want to get the job done."

At the end of our interview, asked if there was anything else he wanted to add, Dibble came back to the theme that he shared during the interview and his farewell speech, how lucky he has been.

"I'm very lucky that I've worked for a great department," he said before taking a long pause, " ... with some really good people. Like I said, I'm a lucky guy. That's all."

Jail Superintendent William Zipfel, Undersheriff Gregory Walker, retired Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble, Sheriff William Sheron, Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster.

The incoming chief deputy of road patrol, Joseph Graff, and Gordan Dibble have fun changing name plates on Dibble's old office.

Press release:

Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. recently announced that he has promoted Investigator Joseph M. Graff to Chief Deputy – Road Patrol, taking the place of Chief Deputy Gordon L. Dibble who is retiring on Dec. 30.

Chief Graff has been in law enforcement since 1999, starting his career as a Probation Officer for Genesee County. On Feb. 28, 2004, he became a Deputy Sheriff with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. He was awarded the Joseph Stebelein Memorial Award and the Academic Achievement Award for Exemplary Achievement at his basic academy graduation. In 2015, Joe was promoted to Investigator. He is a current member of the Emergency Response Team; is a field training officer; and is an instructor for firearms, TASER, ASP, and OC Spray.  Chief Graff has been awarded two meritorious awards, one commendation, and was selected as Officer of the Year in 2007.    

Chief Graff is a Batavia native and a 1991 graduate of Notre Dame High School. In 1995, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, with a minor in Management Finance, from St. John Fisher. He resides in Genesee County with his wife, Erin, and their three daughters.  

“Chief Graff is a dedicated, professional officer who is well respected within the law enforcement community,” Sheriff Sheron said. “I am honored to have him join the administrative team of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.”

Press release: 

On Dec. 9th, members of the Batavia Police Department, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, and New York State Police Troop A, will be participating in the third annual “Shop with a Cop” event at Walmart on Veterans Memorial Drive. 

Grant money from Walmart, designated specifically for this event was distributed equally to all three organizations. The schools within Genesee County assisted in choosing the children. 

The City of Batavia Police Benevolent Association, Genesee County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, City of Batavia CSEA members, the City’s “Jeans for Friday” program, Department of Public Works (AFSCME) Union, and H.E. Turner & Co. Inc. Funeral Home of Batavia & Bergen raised additional funds which enabled 20 extra children to participate. 

A total of 50 children were invited to participate in this year’s event. Once at Walmart, the children will take photographs with Santa Claus and meet with their individual "Cop."

Walmart graciously hosts the event, allocates employees specifically for the event, and also donates gift wrapping materials. Gift wrapping will be completed by the Young Adults Group from Batavia City Church, members of the Batavia Police Explorer’s Post and family members from Batavia Police Department and Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

The Batavia Police Department, Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Police Troop A, would like to thank Walmart for their generosity and assistance to make this a great event. We would also like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Photo: File photo.

It was an emotional moment when Jodie Hebdon radioed dispatch to sign off, signaling his last shift as a deputy with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office after 35 years of service.

Hebdon spent the past 16 as resource officer at the BOCES campus on State Street in Batavia. And it's leaving that job that is particularly difficult he said.

"I'm going to miss these kids," Hebdon said. "You know, there are some kids here that have been through horrible lives, horrible living conditions. Trauma, PTSD, whatever you want to call it. The ability to at least interact with them and make something happen for them is good."

Hebdon started his law enforcement career in the Army and when he came home after a hitch in Germany, he enrolled at Genesee Community College. After a stint as a corrections officer, Hebdon was transferred to road patrol before being asked to apply for the resource officer position at BOCES.

The majority of the students at BOCES don't have issues, Hebdon said, but it's dealing with the at-risk kids and helping them is what made the job worthwhile.

"I was the one person they interviewed (for the job)," Hebdon said. "Why I gravitated to the job is I like helping at-risk kids. Today I had six girls at different times who came up to me who were victims of severe abuse, sex abuse, rape. They see me as a safe adult, a safe male. They have the ability to speak in a good way to a man without being extorted or taken advantage of. They gave me some long embraces. They don't want me to go."

When it was time for Hebdon to leave, his coworkers both within the ranks of the Sheriff's Office, other local law enforcement officers and staff at BOCES formed two lines outside the BOCES entrances and saluted and applauded Hebdon.

Then it was time to sign out.

"This is hard," Hebdon said, brushing back a tear before informing dispatchers he was saying goodbye.

Two of the Sheriff's Office longest-serving members retired yesterday, John Dehm and Barb Eddy (pictured with Undersheriff Greg Walker and Sheriff Bill Sheron).

Dehm started with the Sheriff's Office in June 1980. By then, he'd earned a degree from Buffalo State in Criminal Justice and scored second on the deputy's exam. After a short stint at Genesee Community College as a security guard, then-Sheriff Roy Wullich called him for a job, assigning him, as was the case with all new deputies who hadn't yet been through the academy, to guard duty in the jail.

He worked road patrol until 1993 when he became the agency's youth officer, a job he described as both richly rewarding and stressful.

"I might still be part of interacting with the Child Advocacy Center to see that that's carried out and that the cases of child sexual abuse are handled in the correct way," Dehm said. "I really believe it takes special training in order to investigate those types of offenses. A lot of compassion and we have a team, not only just one person, we have a whole team of experts who collaborate together to make sure the best outcome prevails."

In 1989, Dehm was trained in forensic interviews, a skill that was a major part of his job as a youth officer.

"One of my passions is getting sex offenders," Dehm said.

When Dehm started as a youth officer, the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program was still active and that was a big part of his job in the beginning, but becoming certified as a DARE officer wasn't easy. He had to travel to Albany, be interviewed by multiple people to ensure he was the right caliber for the job and pass a test.

"I actually see many of my students who are probably now  36 or 37 years old and they still say 'Hi' to me," Dehm said, "to this day. It was a wonderful experience working directly with the kids."

In retirement, he's still going to be working with kids. This fall, he starts a job as a security aide at John Kennedy School.

"I think with all the skills I have as a youth officer, I think I'm going to be able to use those skills and my talents as a youth officer to the advantage of the kids in that school," Dehm said.

While Dehm, a father of three adult children and stepfather to an 18-year-old daughter, anticipates having more time to do things around the house and spend more time with his wife, he isn't giving up on his other passion -- scuba diving.

For years, he and his partners (other men in law enforcement) have run a scuba business. It's something he still enjoys and thinks he's good at, he said.

"I've been scuba diving for 40 years," Dehm said. "I've been doing a dive business fo over 20. We do underwater video photography. I think my skills are pretty sharp underwater. We can tell how different things work for different municipalities and assisting in whatever underwater things that they need. And any infrastructure that needs to be inspected."

Dehm, a 1975 graduate of Notre Dame High School, said he also looks forward to spending more time outdoors -- hiking, biking, camping, and he would really like to delve more into photography. (He's been documenting various Sheriff's Office events for a few years.)

Barb Eddy's law enforcement career actually started with the FBI in its Buffalo office; but having been raised in Bethany and attending Alexander schools, she missed Genesee County.

"Obviously, the FBI was a great job but my my heart wasn't in the City of Buffalo," Eddy said. "My brother (a deputy sheriff) said a typist job was open at the Sheriff's Office and he said, 'You should apply.' "

So she did. She was actually the first person interviewed for a job by the new sheriff, Doug Call.

"He kind of laughed because he said 'you've got an FBI background already so we don't have to do a background check,' " she recalled.

Eddy was hired as a typist in 1981 and soon promoted to clerk typist. 

Through the '80s, Eddy was very involved in her community, including the Alexander Volunteer Fire Department; so in 1990, making the move to dispatch seemed like a good fit for her.

"I've always enjoyed the fire service and what they do and that's where my heart was and I decided that's where I needed to be," Eddy said.

It's been a very rewarding job, she said.

"The main thing that I like about dispatch is that every day I come here into the office, I know I'm going to help someone," Eddy said. "You know it's not always the tragedies, the horrible things of having a baby not breathing on the other end, or a person screaming that their child isn't breathing, or their loved one isn't breathing.

"Those are the things I'm going to choose to kind of block out of my memory. It's the simple things, just knowing that I'm helping someone, even if it's finding a phone number or an address or whatever. It's just knowing that every day I walk in here I'm helping someone in the community that needs help."

Eddy also thinks she's leaving the 9-1-1 Center in capable hands.

"There's a younger group coming up through the ranks and they're doing a great job," Eddy sadi. "They're trained very well. The Sheriff makes sure that they are trained. They're doing a very good job."

She's retiring after 36 years and her husband retired two years ago as a State Police dispatcher. They're looking forward to time for family and travel and returning to some of the community involvement she's had to set aside for a few years. 

"Since I took my promotion as a senior dispatcher, I've been working the three-to-seven shift so I've lost track of some things that I really enjoy with my community," Eddy said. "I've been involved in the Alexander Fire Department and I'm also with the Boy Scouts. I got involved with the Boy Scouts because my son is an Eagle and I am lucky enough to be able to continue with that and be the liaison with the Fire Department, which sponsors the scouts."

And then there is the chance to get back involved with music.

"I did play an instrument when I was in high school and I haven't touched it since," Eddy said. "I thought about that maybe some singing or some music, some things that I haven't done in quite a long time and I might actually have time for now."

She is going to miss working at the Sheriff's Office though. It's like family, she said.

"After all, sometimes you spend more time here than with your own family," Eddy said. "I just love the people I work with and I'm going to miss them. But I might become the coffee guy now, you know. I can be the girl who calls up and says, 'You've been here 12 hours -- you need a cup of coffee?' "

There is no separating the Christian faith of Deputy Brian Thompson and his work over the past 25 years with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

From his positive spirit, ready encouraging words for everybody he comes across and his gentle reminders that "life is temporary but eternity is forever," Thompson makes it clear he doesn't do one thing on Sunday and live his life differently.

"Sometimes we think we can compartmentalize things and say, 'Well I can have faith on Sunday but the rest of the time I'm just going to be like the world and be harsh,' and we can't be that. I tried not to compartmentalize who I am in God. And I think that's made me who I am as a police officer on the scene."

Thompson retired today and he said he can look back on a career where he thinks he's made a difference in people's lives, even people he's arrested.

"A lot of those citizens on that side of the law have become my friends over the years," Thompson said. "That's very rewarding to see people that are hating law enforcement, hating authority more or less -- and then to become great citizens in the community, and loving God or loving the Lord, or just maybe even having a wake-up call and change your life, and then reaching back and saying that they love me and care about me is very humbling."

Thompson said people have reminded him over the years that it wasn't his job to be a preacher or pastor while on the job, but that didn't mean he couldn't keep seeing each person he met someone special.

"Each individual person I run into is special and unique and made in God's image," Thompson said. "When we do that and we put them first in God's eyes, it makes you have more of a compassion for them. I haven't always perfectly done that, but I would say for the most part God has given me the courage and the patience and the endurance to be that for most of those persons over the years."

Thompson grew up in Genesee County. He attended Pavilion High School and then transferred to Oakfield-Alabama, where he graduated in 1986.

Thompson accepted Christ when he was 18.

At the time, from the outside people might have thought he had things together. He was an athlete and among the top 10 academically in his class, but inside, he said there was more anger than love.

"Alcohol was taking over my life," Thompson said.

Jesus, he said, "changed my life for eternity."

After graduation, Thompson joined the Army, which is where he got involved with K-9s.

He returned home in 1990, already a married man.

He met his wife, Amy, while in high school and through the first two years of his Army hitch, they stayed in touch through letters and phone calls and were married in 1988.

Brian and Amy have four children, Ethan, 23, Olivia, 20, Sophia, 16, and Gideon, 9.

In 1991, Thompson went to went to work for the Sheriff's Office as a corrections officer. After 18 months in the jail, he was transferred to road patrol. After road patrol and a sent on the Local Drug Task Force, he was offered a chance to become a K-9 handler again. He worked with three dogs over the course of his 14-year K-9 career: Yentl, Jay, and Pharoah.

One of the most dramatic events of Thompson's career occurred in Corfu in January 2014. The incident began when Thompson was dispatched to check on a car off the road. When he arrived, he recognized the subject in the car as Scott A. Kopper, who was wanted on a parole warrant. When Thompson attempted to get Kopper out of his vehicle, Kopper tried to drive off, dragging Thompson, whose arm was caught in the car door. A nearby truck driver intervened, possibly saving Thompson's life.

Kopper is currently serving a seven-year prison term for the assault.

"I love Scott," Thompson said. "I haven't had an opportunity to touch his life in jail yet but I'm hoping to, as I retire, to be able to reach out to Scott and continue that love. This started at the sentencing time to say 'I forgive you and I love you and you mean something.' But we all have to be held accountable for our actions. And he did something that almost cost me my life and almost cost other people's lives.

"But his life was spared. And I think it was spared for a reason. So I do pray that Scott comes to know the Lord and turns his life over to him. I have no control over that. All I can do is extend my hand to him and say 'I love you and I care about you and I hope your life is more fulfilled than it was before.' "

Top Photo: Thompson, middle, with Undersheriff Greg Walker and Sheriff Bill Sheron.

The path to a Sheriff's road patrol often passes through the Genesee County Jail for career-minded folks interested in law enforcement, and Darrell Klein thought that would be the path he would take when he signed on as a corrections officer 24-and-a-half years ago.

It didn't take him long, though, to figure out the jail was where he could do the most good.

"I liked the people," Klein said. "I liked the challenge, the feeling that I was doing something that mattered. People misunderstand what inmates are all about. They think they are bad people. They're not. There are a lot of good people here who made bad choices. It's nice to be able to help them when I can."

He said he will be look back at several memories where he feels he made a difference in people's lives. 

"Those are good feelings," he said.

Today was Klein's last day on the job.

"It's time to pass the torch to somebody else," he said.

Press release:

Seventeen (17) children from Genesee County attended the New York State Sheriffs' Institute 2017 Summer Camp at Camp Iroquois, which is located on Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes Region of Yates County, for one week of wholesome summer fun.  

Now in its 41st year of operation, the camp accommodates more than 900 boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 12 from across New York State, and they attend at no charge. Made possible by the generous financial support of the Honorary Members of the Sheriffs’ Institute, the Sheriffs' Summer Camp provides a solid recreational program while stressing basic values and good citizenship. 

“The campers get an insider’s look at the world of law enforcement,” said Sheriff William Sheron. “By working with and learning from the Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs at the camp, the kids develop a deeper respect for and understanding of the men and women who enforce our laws.” 

Campers participate in typical camp activities like archery, sailing, boating, hiking, and talent shows. They also experience technical and safety demonstrations by Deputy Sheriffs such as scuba diving, K-9 handling, bicycle safety and boating safety.

The Sheriffs’ Summer Camp is a program of the New York State Sheriffs’ Institute Inc.  The Sheriffs’ Institute was established in 1979 with the mission to assist the office of the sheriff in advancing education in the criminal justice community, preventing juvenile delinquency, and supporting victims of crime and their families. Visit www.nysheriffsinstitute.org or https://www.facebook.com/campiroquois/ to learn more.

The Sheriff's Office dedicated two new signs in the garden outside the department's Park Road office this afternoon to the memory of William H. Johnson, who died in 1895, and Raymond F. Thompson, who died in 2002.

Pictured above, Deputy Brian Thompson on the left, with Undersheriff Greg Walker, and on the right, other members of the Thompson family with Sheriff William Sheron.

Brian Thompson is Raymond's brother. Raymond served eight years in the USAF in Security Police, then returned home, working in a couple of different manufacturing jobs before joining the Sheriff's Office as a corrections officer. He died on duty a few years later of a heart attack at the age of 37.

The dedication service comes on the third anniversary of the death of Deputy Frank Bordonaro, who is also honored with a sign in his memory in the garden.

The ceremony was followed by lunch for all in attendance, with hot dogs, hamburgers and sausage grilled by, from left, Undersheriff Greg Walker, Chief Deputy Jerry Brewster, and Sheriff Bill Sheron.