Chief Griffith has retained counsel, issues statement
By Andrew Harris
Alfred Police Chief Paul Griffith, an almost thirty year veteran of the Alfred Police Department has been placed on administrative leave. Griffith started with the APD in 1996.
We asked village Mayor Jim Ninos to comment on the development:
“The Village of Alfred Board treats all personnel matters as confidential for the sake of the integrity of the process and for the privacy of the employee involved. Please be assured that the day-to-day operations of the police department have not and will not be affected. The Board will update the public if and when it is appropriate to do so.”
The Sun reached out to Paul Griffith who directed us to Maureen Bass, a parter with Rochester based firm Abrams Fensterman, LLP. Bass not only confirmed that her client had been placed on leave but that he was bewildered and concerned about the village board’s decision. While Bass would not speculate on the basis for the concerns, she made it clear that Griffith would be challenging the decision and defending his nearly three decades of service.
Griffiths issued this reaction to the village action via Abrams Fensterman, Attorney’s at Law:
“Through thick and thin, Chief Griffith has served Alfred for 27 years. He loves his Department and is proud of all of those who serve with him. He does not know or understand why this is happening to him -but he has done nothing wrong and has always served with honesty, integrity, dignity and respect. I urge your readers to keep looking for the truth until they find out what is really happening. The Chief and his family are very grateful for the community’s support especially during this difficult time. He hopes to return to his post soon and continue to keep the community strong and safe.“
Griffith remains on paid administrative leave pending further action by the Village of Alfred.
The lawyers for Griffith has issued the Village of Alfred a “directive” to preserve and maintain all information and data relevant to this matter. All public meeting video, communications regarding Griffith, and all internal documents must be made available for future legal proceedings.
About Paul Griffith
Paul graduated from the Southern Tier Law Enforcement Academy in Corning NY in 1995. In 1996, he was appointed as a part-time Patrolman for the Village of Alfred. In September of 1997, he accepted a full-time position with the City of Hornell Police Department. In September of 1998 Paul accepted a transfer to the Alfred Police Department as a full-time Patrolman. In 2006 Paul was promoted to the rank of Sergeant/Investigator and took over all of the investigative duties. On October 14, 2014, Paul was Promoted to Chief of Police.
Paul has an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Park and Recreational Law Enforcement from Vermilion Community College in Ely, Minnesota and also completed the Seasonal Park Ranger Training. Paul has numerous certifications and specialized training to his credit.