Healy accused the Sheriff of “misleading” legislators on a recent tour of the Allegany County Public Safety Building
By Andrew Harris, pictured is Sheriff Cicirello addressing legislators
The Allegany County Public Safety committee was in session today and conducting business as normal until Sheriff Scott Cicirello stepped to the podium. The Sheriff addressed some important updates from this department and then his tone turned terse, to put it nicely.
Cicirello brought an email between legislators to light, an email by Legislator Dwight Healy, which openly suggested that the Sheriff had been was “misleading” the legislature about jail staffing and finances. From that email which was shared with the Wellsville Sun, Healy wrote:
“While the recent tour of the public safety / jail facilities was very informative, I believe the Sheriff could have been misleading us in his request for manpower as it pertained to maintaining NYSDOC minimum staffing requirements as it seems I hear of more reports, etc., of Deputies who appear to be on patrol.“
According to the Sheriff, several legislators immediately provided him with the email which also suggested that the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office was operating beyond what is necessary and what the county can afford.
Cicirello started his full-throated rebuke of Healy by providing the committee with the financial reality with cutting services and staff provided by the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff explained to the committee that after closing the jail, laying off the staff, and eliminating a host of services currently provided, the county would stand to save just under $200,000. He quipped, “seems to me a pretty ridiculous tradeoff.”
In addressing Healy’s suggestion that deputies are performing road patrols instead of other necessary duties the Sheriff made it clear his deputies are following department protocol and his orders:
“They are police officers. When they are not fulfilling normal functions…. they are police officers and are sworn to do their duty. This has been the practice for the last 30 years, regardless of the Sheriff standing up here.”
The Sheriff told Legislator Healy directly that he was shocked that a former law enforcement officer(Healy was a NYS Police Officer,)would make such reckless statements. “Defunding the police doesn’t work,” and that “your position is a slap in the face to every member of the Sheriff’s office.”
After an almost twenty minute speech from Cicirello, the legislative chambers erupted in applause. District 3 Legislator Charles Bessette told the Sheriff that the words of one legislator do not reflect the whole and that he didn’t “feel the email was appropriate.”
Legislator Healy then took the floor and lamented that the Sheriff took his email personally and then suggested that Cicirello maybe “paranoid.” When Cicirello pointed out that other legislators were clearly not in agreement with Healy’s statement the District 2 Legislator called fellow legislators “sheep.”
At that comment Legislator Bessette eagerly shot back, “I can guarantee you one thing right now Mr. Healy that I am not a sheep…. and I’m not afraid to tell you that to your face.”
Healy ended his remarks by noting he isn’t “against the sheriff’s department,” as a former employee but didn’t appreciate his fellow legislators “ingratiating themselves to law enforcement,” by sharing his email.
The committee meeting ended with Legislator Gretchen Hanchett adding that she found the recent facility tour “eye opening,” and thanked the Sheriff and his staff for “everything you do.” At that Legislator Phil Stockin asked that Cicirello introduce the leadership team at the Sheriff’s Office who received another round of applause.
Watch the full recording of today’s meeting:
