CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — The Erie County Sheriff's Office made a last-minute attempt to interest and recruit new applicants as it tries to fill its ranks for the next couple of decades.
"Law enforcement can be a challenging career," said Brian Britzzalaro, Chief of Special Operations for the Erie County Sheriff's Office and a member of law enforcement going on...
“23 years now,” Britzzalaro said.
It's a career that as he mentioned has included good days and bad but Britzzalaro still contends it's the "most rewarding profession" out there.
“What's this job about at its base core? It's helping people,” Britzzalaro said.
The issue is as of late, finding those individuals who are qualified and willing to help has been a challenge for law enforcement. But what is a challenge for some is an opportunity for others.
“That's why I took an interest in it in the first place,” said Jomar Mercado.
Mercado was one of a dozen or so recruits who attended a recruitment event at the Erie County Fire Training Center Monday evening. He knows there is a shortage of law enforcement members but has also had an interest in joining law enforcement since he was young. It led to him majoring in criminal justice at ECC North.
"I'm actually trying to apply to as many law enforcement jobs as possible," Mercado said. He admitted he was a little nervous to apply, given the inherent dangers of law enforcement, but recognizes the importance of the job.
That same logic is why 18-year-old Williamsville senior Ashley Wood, who although too young to apply, attended the recruitment event. She plans to pursue criminal justice in college.
“It's a different job every day. You're not doing that same thing and then we live in such a world where everyone for some reason hates on the police so I want to be a part of it to help others and show the good side of it,” said Wood.
The event was set up to show how recruits can also branch out into different specialties as they advance. A K9 handler was a popular stop for many recruits but so too were the SWAT and rescue teams. From college graduates to Army Veterans, even a couple of construction workers showed up to ask questions about the job.
“After a few short years you could be on a boat, go up in Air One, you could be on a SWAT team or rope rappelling and go down Zoar Valley or Chestnut Ridge and rescue a stranded hiker or something like that,” Chief Britzzalaro said.
Emmett Smigielski, an Army Veteran and Cheektowaga resident said he was interested in joining the Sheriff's Office before leaving for military service but now that he's back stateside, said that he has the right skill set for the job.
“Come out give it a shot if you make it you make it go all the way through. Protect and serve pretty much,” said Smigielski.
The process of becoming a member of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office can take a couple of years. The tri-annual application process is meant to build a pool of candidates to rely on when expected and unexpected retirements happen.
A Sheriff's Office spokesperson said some applicants who score high on their examination could get the call pretty quick, however, especially with a new threat assessment team requiring ten new or shifted individuals within the office. If accepted a six-month academy would follow.
The civil service exam is set for September 17.