A major part of Gary Hayes' plan to restructure the Sheriff Dept. to be more efficient (lower cost) is having part-timers take over prisoner transport (more detail on his website www.geocities.com/ed1559/Gary_Hayes_for_Sheriff.htm).
In the meantime, have the TV cameras helped free up road patrol? It's been a year, perhaps the incumbent would address this issue.
A remote-control courtroom By Jill Terreri Friday, April 30, 2004
LOCKPORT — The days when Niagara County sheriff’s deputies played taxi to prisoners who needed to get to court dates and then spent half their mornings at the court instead of patrolling the streets might be coming to an end.
Well, maybe.
The county, along with the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, unveiled its video conferencing system, which allows clients, attorneys and judges to conduct conferences and judicial proceedings from different locations.
In theory, it will free up more deputies to patrol their beats, allow defendants at the county jail to skip the ride out to Niagara Falls City Court for appearances and allow attorneys to conduct conferences with a client without having to go to the jail.
However, whether defendants go to the courthouse or stay in the jail is up to them.
Sheriff Thomas Beilein said there could be a way that a defendant could get an incentive to use the video conferencing, such as an earlier court time.
The county’s lead public defender, Michael Violante, agreed.
“I feel based on my knowledge, that encouraging it is not a problem,” Violante said.
Beilein said the system will give his department some relief.
“We see this as a great advantage,” he said, adding that he would like to see it expanded to other courts, such as the city and Town of Lockport.
I'M NOT ANONYMOUS ANYMORE.........SACCO......... ARE YOU THE SAME OLE SACCO FROM THE TOWN OF NIAG. WHO RAN INTO A FEW PROBLEMS SOME YEARS AGO? OR ARE YOU THE SON OF J. SACCO?....... OOOOH BOY......I REMEMBER YOU FROM WAY BACK.......WHAT AN OLD POLITICAL HACKER YOU WERE BACK THEN.....YOU WERE A THORN IN THE DEMOS SIDE. LOOK SWEETHEART........HATE TO BURST YOUR BUBBLE.....BUT YOU LOST SIGHT OF THE SHERIFFS DEPT. BUDGET.......STICK TO THE ISSUES!!! THE TAXPAYERS CANNOT TAKE THIS BURGEONING COUNTY BUDGET AND SCHOOL TAXES ANYMORE......TAKE ONE LOOK AT NIAG. FALLS AND SEE WHAT YOU POLITICIANS DID TO THAT CITY WITH ALL THAT MISMANAGEMENT BETWEEN THE REPS AND DEMOS.......IT LOOKS LIKE BERLIN!!......THE SAME GOES FOR THIS SHERIFF'S DEPT....I'M TALKING ABOUT "MISMANAGEMENT"......ITS LIKE GRANT TOOK RICHMOND!!! BEILEIN CANNOT MANAGE HIS DEPT.....HE BEGGED THE CTY. LEGISLATURE FOR A WHOPPING SUM OF THE TOBACCO MONEY......HES WAY OVER BUDGET.....AND ITS A WASTE.......ANNNNNNNND......WHEN YOU CAN'T CONTROL YOUR MEN FROM BEATING ON THEIR WIVES (PUTTING GUNS TO THEIR HEADS), BEATING FEMALE INMATES, SEXUAL STALKERS, SEXUAL ABUSERS, ALCHOLICS, AND SOME DEPUTIES ARE LIKE TIME BOMBS READY TO EXPLODE, ETC.,....WHO HAVE WORKED AND ARE PRESENTLY WORKING IN THAT SHERIFF'S DEPT.....THEN ITS TIME FOR BEILEIN TO GO!!..... ANNNNND.......I'VE GOT IT ALL DOCUMENTED ON FILE.............SOOOOOOOO......ASK ME THE DATES......THE CLAIMS...THE NAMES.......AND I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU....ITS TO LONG TO PRINT OUT ON THE FORUM.....BUT I SURELY CAN GIVE YOU A FEW EXAMPLES ON THE NET. SOOOOOO, DON'T GIVE ME THAT SENTAMENTAL JIBBER JABBER ABOUT "HOW NICE OF A GUY MR. BEILEIN IS".....WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE WHO CAN'T ADMINISTRATE HIS OFFICIAL DUTIES FINANCIALLY OR DEMAND RESPECT AMONG HIS OFFICERS. THESE ARE LAW ENFORCMENT OFFICERS WHO SHOULD DISPLAY GOOD CONDUCT AS REPRESENTATIVES OF OF THE SHERIFF'S DEPT. TO THE CITIZENS THEY REPRESENT. FURTHERMORE, THE SENATOR CAN BACK ANYONE HE WISHES TO.....THATS HIS OPTION. ALTHOUGH I DO AGREE WITH THE SENATOR ON HOW HE WANTS TO DISBURSE THE CASINO MONEY .......I WOULDEN'T GIVE IT ALL TO THAT CITY COUNCIL EITHER WITH THE WAY THAT CITY IS BEING MISMANAGED...... ANN
Well Ann, or is it still Anonymous as you are still signed in that way.
I can tell that the Jim Sacco you know of is not me. It is probably my father who is retired. I don't appreciate the derogitory statements about him, but hey, this is America, and we are entitled to say what we want.
Anyway, the condescending statements you make about him, seem to be in the same vain as that which you say about our Sheriff.
I still say your statements are lacking credibility.
BTW, I will continue to stay on course with my next message, since I finally got a chance to write it up.
Jim Sacco
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Anonymous
Date:
RE: PRIMARY CHALLENGE LACKS CREDIBILITY in NIAGARA COUNTY
Recently I spoke with Jean LaTona who is in charge of the Niagara County branch of Primary Challenge. This group was originally formed in Erie County to find people to run for office who never before participated in politics, and had no political connection.
To date, this group has endorsed to candidates for County office: one candidate will run against Sheriff Beilein and the other one is to run against Renae Kimble.
When I spoke with Jean LaTona, I asked her why they did not get anyone to run against Legislator Burmaster or Meal who Chaired/Vice-Chaired the legislature when WE WERE GIVEN A DOUBLE DIGIT PERCENTAGE TAX INCREASE AFTER THE 2001 ELECTIONS!!!!! She said that nobody came forward to challenge them.
I asked if she was related to Joe LaTona the Attorney. She said that he was
her father.
She also informed me that her attorney father WORKED FOR GEORGE MAZIARZ!!!
So I told her that working for George, he also worked for one of his cronies, Danny Skalarski, when Danny cheated NYS out of unemployment compensation WHEN HE WAS TOWN COUNCIL/DEPUTY SUPERVISOR, AND SUPERVISOR STEVE RICHARDS WAS IN THE HOSPITAL!!!
PRIMARY CHALLENGE IS A MAZIARZ HACK GROUP IN NIAGARA COUNTY!!!
Primary Challenge fits with the Maziarz philosophy of getting his own
cronies to be registered Democrats and have them run in primaries!!
>
It is sad to think that Maziarz cronie attorney Joe LaTona would get his daughter to run Primary Challenge in Niagara County to feed the Maziarz machine!!!
>
As I said before, why do you think they ONLY put up candidates to run against Sheriff Beilein and Legislator Renae Kimble?? These are the two elected Democrats in Niagara County most hated by Senator George Maziarz!!!
>
PRIMARY CHALLENGE HAS NO CREDIBILITY IN NIAGARA COUNTY!!!
The NIAGARA COUNTY branch IS COMPOSED OF MAZIARZ HACKS, AND PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW ANY BETTER, and can be led astray by the Maziarz Machine!!
jspeer, I do like reading your statements about me for a good laugh. Thanks.. Scott, I need to check on some things, and hope to bring it out here on your forum page soon. I am quite confident that at least one (Hayes) is backed by Maziarz. Hope to comment back soon. Jim Sacco
"I am his oldest son and had lived in Albany for about 14 years before moving back to Niagara Cty. eight years ago. I have worked as a Civil and Environmental Engineer for about 22 years for the State and local gov't and for Engineering Consultants"
I have one simple question Mr Sacco. Are you the same James Sacco, Chairman of the Penelton Master Plan Committee and Environmental Engineer for the DEC? Because that's who I believe Ann thinks you are.
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Do not go where the path may lead - Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail: Emerson
Does anyone following this thread have an opinion regarding the fact that the Niagara County Sheriff Department has a bigger budget, larger staff and more burdensome tax bite proportionate to any other county in New York State?
That Tom Beilein has built an empire by influencing the legislature, straight out of J. Edgar Hoover's playbook?
That Beilein is more of a skilled politician, than a law enforcement officer?
I remember that Beilein used to appear on J.R Reid's show frequently. Reid, a former deputy himself, used to run interference for the Sheriff, cutting short rude questions.
Of course, Politician Beilein likes the controlled environment setting, something he'd be unlikely to enjoy on today's Dialog.
Gary Hayes, on the other hand, went on the air and handled the best shots the opposition could muster. He handled them with class. Click on the Podcast link to your left and listen for yourself.
It's time for a change at the Sheriff Department. It's time to elect an individual who puts the interests of the public before personal ego. It's time to leave the personal attacks behind, and analyze the issues.
Corrections officer appears in court By Mark Lindsay / lindsaym@gnnewspaper.com Thursday, March 17, 2005
The Niagara County Jail corrections officer arrested and charged with multiple counts of rape and child endangerment was formally arraigned Wednesday in City Court.
Roger L. Hueber, 41, 252 Caledonia St., pleaded not guilty before Judge William Watson through his attorney, David C. Douglas.
Hueber was charged Tuesday by sheriff’s investigators with two counts each of third-degree rape, third-degree sodomy and unlawfully dealing with a child and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
According to investigators, Hueber supplied juvenile girls with alcohol, showed them pornographic material and had sexual contact with one of the victims. The victims’ identities are being withheld and Sheriff Thomas A. Beilein would only say they are all younger than 17.
In city court Wednesday, Douglas argued for Watson to reduce bail.
“My understanding is Mr. Hueber has no prior criminal history of any kind,” Douglas said, adding that Hueber has been a lifelong city resident.
Watson was unmoved, noting the numerous charges against him and held bail at $25,000 cash or $50,000 property. Hueber is scheduled to return to court Monday morning for a pre-trial conference.
Sheriff Thomas A. Beilein said Hueber has been suspended from his job.
Because he is employed at the jail, Hueber is being held at the Genesee County Jail.
NIAGARA DEPUTY'S SEX ARREST DISGRACES DEPARTMENT, VILLAGE
By David Staba
The horrific charges leveled against Niagara County Sheriff's Deputy Donald H. Piedmont sparked a few days of headlines and rocked the local law enforcement community after his arrest on March 16.
The case also brought rare attention to Middleport, where Piedmont's third term as mayor ended Saturday as he sat in jail, awaiting a bail-revocation hearing. But in the tiny village in the county's northeast corner, Piedmont's alleged double betrayal of public trust met not with shock, or even disbelief--but with equal parts anger and relief.
"To be honest, some people are kind of snickering about it, like 'It's about time,'" said a Middleport business owner. "I haven't heard anybody saying they were surprised."
A week after his arrest, a Niagara County grand jury returned an indictment charging Piedmont with three counts of first-degree sodomy, three counts of first-degree sexual assault, one count of second-degree stalking and one count of second-degree menacing. The indictment alleges that he assaulted a 42-year-old Town of Lockport woman three times between Easter 2000 and Sept. 22, 2000. On the third occasion, the indictment says, he forced her to perform a sex act by holding a gun to her head. The weapon in question was one of several seized in a search of Piedmont's home after his arrest.
Piedmont, who didn't run for a fourth term as mayor, entered a not-guilty plea to all eight counts after his indictment.
Niagara County Sheriff Thomas Beilein said while Piedmont wasn't on patrol when the alleged crimes occurred, the case is an embarrassment to the department.
"I think it's very disturbing to a lot of people in the department," Beilein said. "Actually, disturbing would be a lightly used word. It's a black eye to the department, even though it's one man's actions that he took while he was off duty."
Middleport, midway between Lockport and Medina, and surrounded by farmland and orchards, looks like prime postcard material. Driving north into the village from Route 31, the first business you pass is Greg's Tractor and Small Engine repair, heralded by a sign offering blade sharpening.
The village itself boasts a miniature, but healthy, downtown that makes Niagara Falls' Main Street look even more desolate by comparison. Century-old, three-story brick buildings house a diner, doctor's office, the police department, village hall and two taverns.
Piedmont's reputation in his hometown was more of a nuisance than a menace.
Described as a would-be Lothario, the short, squat Piedmont regularly strutted into village restaurants and watering holes, making local women uncomfortable with repeated comments about their appearance and uninvited entry into their conversations--as well as unscheduled appearances at their businesses and homes.
"He always came off as thinking he was better than you, because he had a gun and a badge and he was the mayor," one woman said.
"He wasn't really normal," one man said. "He'd stand right at the corner of the bar, where all the waitresses come through, just gawking at them all." While the residents interviewed generally sounded dismissive, rather than fearful, of Piedmont, none were willing to be identified in print.
"If he gets acquitted and gets his guns back, I don't want him coming after me," one woman said last week. "Plus, he's out on bail."
That condition changed a day later, when his bail was revoked by County Judge Sara Sheldon Sperrazza after prosecutors alleged that he violated an order of protection by parking his sport utility vehicle near his accuser's house. The alleged violation took place March 25, three days after the grand jury indicted him and he was released on bail.
Beilein opposed Piedmont getting another opportunity to make bail.
"If he (violated the order of protection) once, my feeling is that he could do it again," Beilein said. "The evidence is not light. There's some strong evidence that he did violate that order."
Beilein said Piedmont's accuser filed a formal complaint in January, but the deputy remained on road patrol for about two months before his arrest.
"There were two reasons. This wasn't an incident where he had met the person as a police officer--we didn't have any knowledge that he was committing any crimes while on duty," said Beilein, who added that Piedmont had known the woman for nine years. "And we had to gather more evidence. Any type of action that would have been perceived as abnormal concerning the deputy may have hindered us from getting that evidence."
Piedmont was arrested at the Criminal Bureau of the Sheriff's Department offices in Lockport at the end of his shift on March 16. The deputy, armed with a service weapon and armored with a bullet-proof vest, was apprehended by several officers.
"When you arrest someone that you know is armed, and especially when it could be a traumatic situation, you take the necessary precautions of having extra people around," Beilein said. "At a certain point in the process, he had to be disarmed."
While the image of a confrontation between armed officers well-trained in the use of weapons is a harrowing one, Beilein said Piedmont went quietly.
"It went off very smoothly," Beilein said. "As an event, it was uneventful."
The arrest capped an internal Sheriff's Department investigation, during which Beilein said Piedmont was afforded no special treatment.
"We're the ones that discovered it," Beilein said. "This was not another agency coming in and pointing the finger at us. ... Our position is and always has been that our job is to arrest criminals,even if that criminal is wearing a badge."
But one law enforcement official said rumors and reports of on-duty harassment of female residents had shadowed Piedmont's career in the department, on several instances leading to reassignment to jail duty.
"They knew they had a problem child," the source said. "He went down that hall (to the Sheriff's office) more than once."
Beilein said no formal complaint against Piedmont was ever lodged until the alleged victim came forward, and that none have been filed since the arrest.
Beilein's predecessor as sheriff, Fran Giles, declined to comment on the case.
"We can only operate on facts--not suppositions," Beilein said. "Some of the rumors I've heard are absolutely outrageous."
The Sheriff said Piedmont's job duties were irrelevant to the charges.
"The incident didn't happen when he was on patrol," Beilein said. "If he was stationed in the jail and he decided to do something like this, he still could have done it when he was off duty."
Piedmont is on unpaid suspension, but by law his salary must resume later this month. If he applies for and receives his pension before resolution of the case, he would continue to receive it regardless of the outcome. If convicted, Piedmont could face 25 years to life in prison. While their former mayor's case proceeds, Middleport residents are left to wonder how it will affect their normally quaint, quiet village.
"It certainly is a letdown for our little community," one woman said. "I moved here four years ago because it's quiet and safe. You don't have to lock your door--at least I didn't."
And the sheriff's department, its image still recovering from the scandals that rocked county government in the 1990s, is left with another public-relations nightmare.
"I think that's always a concern of any police executive--does the public have confidence in your department?" Beilein said. "I don't think an off-duty incident by one guy should be reflected by the whole department."
A Niagara County Legislature committee voted Tuesday to pay $100,000 in an out-of-court settlement to a woman who said a sheriff's deputy forced her to perform sex acts three times, once at gunpoint.
Darcy Berasi, now 46, was living in the Town of Lockport in 2000, when the alleged incidents with then-Deputy Donald H. Piedmont occurred in her home.
Another Sheriff's Deputy charged. Nicholas Everhard, 41, of Middleport has been charged with second-degree harassment in connection with a February incident in which he allegedly grabbed a Medina man by the throat at the corner of South Transit Road and Robinson. Everhard is the latest Niagara County Sheriff's Deputy to get into trouble with the law according to a report in the Niagara Gazette. Appearing in Lockport Town Court Tuesday, 4/17, Deputy Everhard was granted a adjournment in contemplation of dismissal providing he "stays out of trouble" for the next six months. According to the Gazette, the matter went into the court system because the victim filed a complaint with the New York State Police who investigated. Deputy Everhard, who could have faced department charges, filed for retirement from the Sheriff's Department to be effective April 30th. (4/19/01)
Anonymous? Rightly or wrongly, most people are afraid of publicly criticizing Tom Beilein.
Didn't you yourself, Scott, at some point in the recent past, express your concern on Dialog about having a vanity plate that said "Leffler" and potentially being pulled over?
Anonymous wrote: Anonymous? Rightly or wrongly, most people are afraid of publicly criticizing Tom Beilein. Didn't you yourself, Scott, at some point in the recent past, express your concern on Dialog about having a vanity plate that said "Leffler" and potentially being pulled over?
You are correct - many people are concerned that they will suffer some sort of wrath for speaking up ... that's exactly why I have (against the "advice" of several of this board's posters) continued to allow anonymous postings.
But ... anonymous postings can also be used for the sole purpose of taking pot shots without having to defend your opinions. Happens frequently, in fact.
And I probably did say recently that I'm concerned about my licence place. Look - some people HATE the fact that people speak their mind. And I've never been one to shy away from speaking his mind. Occasionally I am concerned about some yahoo coming after me. Not usually worried about the police ... but can't say that the thought has never crossed my mind.
Finally, as I stated in the last post, Beilein's "got some 'splanin' to do." Which may 'splain why he hasn't been on the show.
Having a sign in name does not mean you have to use your name. You could use something like garys fan or hayes for sheriff.
A sign in name makes it easier to follow a thread. Is anonymous 1 poster or several that have the same opinion? If there are 4 posters that are of the same position it might carry more weight than if it's just one.
me wrote: Having a sign in name does not mean you have to use your name. You could use something like garys fan or hayes for sheriff. A sign in name makes it easier to follow a thread. Is anonymous 1 poster or several that have the same opinion? If there are 4 posters that are of the same position it might carry more weight than if it's just one.
And let's not forget that sign in names are free and completely anonymous if that's what you want.
You are correct - many people are concerned that they will suffer some sort of wrath for speaking up ... that's exactly why I have (against the "advice" of several of this board's posters) continued to allow anonymous postings. But ... anonymous postings can also be used for the sole purpose of taking pot shots without having to defend your opinions. Happens frequently, in fact. And I probably did say recently that I'm concerned about my licence place. Look - some people HATE the fact that people speak their mind. And I've never been one to shy away from speaking his mind. Occasionally I am concerned about some yahoo coming after me. Not usually worried about the police ... but can't say that the thought has never crossed my mind. Finally, as I stated in the last post, Beilein's "got some 'splanin' to do." Which may 'splain why he hasn't been on the show. I was just pointing out the facts of the matter.
I would be one of those posters that Scott is referring to. Good points made by Me, Myself, I and Dovey(hi Dovey). Most of the members on this board have very anonymous names (like the last 4 posts), but they have a name. Scotts right about the pot shots, most of them are posted by the anonymous faceless posters. There are also members that post as anonymous when the topic could become sticky for them, one on this thread tends to do that. My advice is pick a sign in the protects your name but allows the rest of us to follow your posts.
-- Edited by shughes at 09:00, 2005-07-08
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Do not go where the path may lead - Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail: Emerson
Let's talk about anything, anything at all, except the subject of this thread.
The reason why we have elected officials like Tom Beilein is that *people like you* are constantly bogged down in the trivialities, the rumors and irrelevant.
Why talk about the issues when another pretty white girl has been reported missing?
Our county may go bankrupt like Erie in large part because we've financed Tom Beilein's empire. The department has a sex scandal every few months. We need fresh leadership.
Let's talk about anything, anything at all, except the subject of this thread. The reason why we have elected officials like Tom Beilein is that *people like you* are constantly bogged down in the trivialities, the rumors and irrelevant. Why talk about the issues when another pretty white girl has been reported missing? Our county may go bankrupt like Erie in large part because we've financed Tom Beilein's empire. The department has a sex scandal every few months. We need fresh leadership.
I think the point was missed on you faceless one. What people are you referring to when you say "people like you"? Scott brought up the anonymous poster point, and I added my two cents. I am a bit confused about the missing pretty white girl comment, what does that have to do with the sheriffs race? Yes our county might find it's self in Erie Counties shoes, but that would come back to the legislators. I'm all for some adult supervision here like Eric County is getting. I hope we don't have to fall as far as they did to get it.
How about putting some initials after your posts so we don't confuse you with the other faceless ones.
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Do not go where the path may lead - Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail: Emerson