Every two years, the Niagara County Sheriffs Office takes applications for new officers and deputies to replace those who have left, retired or received promotions.

According to WKBW-TV they generally expect in excess of  500 applications. Recruits will then undergo both physical and written tests - the highest scoring applicants will the newest members of the Sheriff's Office.

The final day for applications is August 6th - for the September 18th exam but of late there seems to be a general malaize in wanting to be a police officer.

"Over the last year and a half, its been a rough ride for law enforcement. There’s been a lot of attention on us, and its' because of the actions of a few bad police officers," said Michael Filicetti,  Niagara County Sheriff.

 

Filicetti feels that incidents around the nation of police brutality, especially against minority communities, have affected the interest in individuals wanting to become law enforcement officers.  He understands that there of course are incidents involving bad police officers, but in general police, (and the Niagara County Sheriffs Office) do a great deal of good in the community.

Filicetti and I recently spoke on Townsquare Media's Issues and Views Program about police work.  How it has changed.  Some of the programs that Sheriff Filicetti has implemented in the community.

We spoke of the different jobs available including; Corrections, Communications, Victim Assistance, and others.

You can listen to my interview with Niagara County Sheriff Mike Filicetti below:

 

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