The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office Has Been Awarded the New York State Sheriffs’ Traffic Safety Program of the Year.

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office was awarded the New York State Sheriffs’ Traffic Safety Program of the Year.

The Operation Safe Interstate initiative on Interstate 390 earned the award after being chosen by Sheriffs from across the state.
The Operation Safe Interstate detail was started by Sheriff Dougherty in 2015 and is made possible by the tremendous efforts of the Deputy Sheriffs on the interstate. The initiative has netted hundreds of drug arrests and through these efforts not only seized illegal drugs but reduced property crimes. We have seen burglaries alone decrease over 60% and we attribute a lot of that reduction to not only arresting drug dealers but also the arrest of those addicted to illegal substances (they are the most likely to steal to support their habit). The detail has also kept roads safe through several drug impaired driving, DWI arrests, wanted subjects taken into custody and removing suspended operators off the highway.

We continue to take every arrest and incarceration as an opportunity to help those fighting addiction while jailed through counseling, vivitrol, peer support and transitional services. We still have work to do but we are changing lives and habits in hopes of reducing recidivism and helping these folks be productive members of our communities.

Great job to the Deputy Sheriffs of the Police Services Bureau (Patrol Division and Criminal Investigation Division), the Deputy Sheriffs (and those we partner with to deliver services to those addicted) of the Correctional Services Bureau (Jail Division and Court Division) and the Communications Bureau (911 and Sheriff’s Dispatchers who handle all the radio traffic on the stops and data requests)!

A special shout out to Deputy Shawn Whitford who works the detail full time and is an incredible asset to program.

 

(Pictured L to R Niagara County Sheriff Jim Voutour, Undersheriff Matthew Bean, Deputy Shawn Whitford, Yates County Sheriff Ron Spike, Patrol Division Captain Norm Zeh, Wayne County Sheriff Barry Virts and Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty)