By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – The Erie County Sheriff's Department will relinquish security functions at court facilities in downtown Buffalo to the State Unified Court System, effective Thursday.
Sheriff Timothy Howard says people who enter downtown courthouses will see the same security personnel. They'll just be wearing different uniforms. Howard said 137 deputies assigned to court security agreed to become state court officers.
"This is a specialization of function that will allow the state to concentrate future training on court security versus us keeping employees trained in jail as well as court security," Howard said.
Howard said the deputies were given the choice of whether to accept the change in job status or remain with the county. He said the vast majority agreed to become state court officers.
"This is the best thing for these employees and their families. I wish them well," Howard said. "My great concern is that if they changed their minds at the last minute, it would have forced us to lay off some of our younger, less senior employees. I didn't want to do that again."
A recent report on courthouse security in New York said a key priority is keeping the courts accessible and safe. Last year alone, more than 8,800 pieces of contraband were seized at public entrances to court buildings downtown.