BUFFALO, N.Y. — Four people have recently launched campaigns, hoping to become the next Erie County Sheriff.
Amherst Police Lieutenant Ted Dinoto made his campaign announcement on Thursday in front of the Erie County Holding Center.
Karen Healy-Case, a former lieutenant and district chief for the Buffalo Police Department, launched her campaign on Wednesday.
Myles Carter, who is an entrepreneur and community leader, announced his candidacy on Monday.
Brian Gould, the assistant chief of police in the Town of Cheektowaga, made his intentions known on January 23.
"Law enforcement is difficult and dangerous work, and we need strong leadership to make our communities safer," Gould, who joined the Cheektowaga Police Department in 2000, said in a statement last month.
"As a police officer, I started my law enforcement career on the front lines as a patrol officer. I believe our sheriff deputies are doing the best job they can, but it’s clear their leadership has failed them. Leadership is not about words, it’s about action."
Healy-Case joined the Buffalo Police Department in 1988 and eventually became the second woman to earn the rank in its history. She retired from the department in 2010.
"Like so many residents of Erie County, I am tired of watching the radical left attack our Constitution, the rule of law, and our courageous law enforcement officers,” Healy-Case said in a statement. "We cannot let the 'defund the police' mob take over our Sheriff’s Office."
Carter acknowledged that the position is typically held by career law enforcement, but he believes a new perspective could lead to meaningful change.
“We are all paying for over-policing and mass incarceration, and it's not benefiting our county one bit," Carter said in a statement.
According to Dinoto's LinkedIn, he's had a long history working in law enforcement, having been with the Amherst Police Department for over 29 years.