Livingston County Deputy Sheriff Kevin Barrett was recently awarded a $500.00 scholarship by the Douglas J. Welch Scholarship Committee. The award will be used by Deputy Welch to further his educational studies at Genesee County Community College. He currently is the holder of a 3.85 GPA at the college where he is studying police administration.

(l to r) Livingston County Sheriff John York; Madeline Peri, sister of the late Sheriff Welch; Deputy Kevin Barrett; Nancy Rider, who is the widow of the former Sheriff Welch; Brenda Smith and Deputy Joseph Barkan from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office.

The scholarship was formed in conjunction with Mrs. William Wadsworth in memory of the late Douglas J. Welch, a former Sheriff of Livingston County. Awards are made to those seeking law enforcement careers at the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office.

Recently the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office achieved its fifth accreditation award from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.(CALEA). The Sheriff’s Office also received a “Certificate of Meritorious Accreditation” for having been CALEA accredited for 15 or more continuous years. The CALEA Commission commended the Sheriff’s Office achievement and its long-term commitment to professional excellence.

Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn is no stranger to accreditation programs. His agency has law enforcement accreditation from the State’s Department of Criminal Justice, and the county jail is accredited by the New York State Sheriff’s Association. And, members of has staff serve as assessors for the Association’s accreditation programs as well.

CALEA accreditation is an ongoing process and requires the agency to be in constant compliance with 459 standards, not an easy task. Every three years, a team of CALEA assessors conduct an on-site assessment of the agency. Based on the assessment, their recommendation is presented to the CALEA Commission for final approval.

CALEA assessors said that the Sheriff’s Office enjoys a positive relationship with local police departments, and that there is a focus on cooperation and coordination of resources. The Sheriff’s Office is held “in high regard by other local law enforcement and considered to be professional and responsive to County law enforcement needs, regardless of which agency has responsibility.”

The assessors concluded by noting that the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office “has experienced measurable success in numerous areas of service. The agency staff and administration are quick to credit their participation in the accreditation process as one of the reasons for their success. The Sheriff and his staff, however, give most of the credit to the men and women in their agency who work hard to provide the most professional services possible to the community they serve.”