Challenge #2:
Maintain the Public Trust and the Image of the Sheriff’s Office.

Accreditation Standards: We have completely re-written our manual utilizing accreditation standards. These are the accepted standards for Code of Conduct, Polices and Procedures and the Rules and Regulations used for Police Agencies and Corrections Institutions throughout the country. We recognized that the personnel, in all divisions, needed the guidance to perform at their highest level. We have provided the template for everyone to use as a reference standard. This has instilled confidence and a spirit of “Striving for Excellence” that continues to raise the bar in serving the public to the best of our ability.

Pro Active Arrest Policies: Our continued trendsetting approach in response to Domestic Violence issues keeps our Sheriff’s Office at the top of the scale when dealing with victims and their families. Our commitment to the Order of Protection project, a Grant driven program, has funded improvements to our computerization of records and increased our responsiveness to monitoring violations of Orders of Protection. Our Sheriff’s Office and community has benefited from the $.7 million that we have gathered and wisely spent on arrest and prevention of this very important issue.

Strict Conduct Policies for Inmates: The Cayuga County Jail is a very large part of the Sheriff’s Office and the County Budget. We house 160 to 180 inmates in our facility on a regular basis. At 80% capacity this is our “Comfort Level” for our facility to operate at its greatest efficiency. With a population of that size, we recognize that strict policies for behavior are a necessity for the safety of our staff and our inmates. We have instituted pro arrest policies and a zero tolerance for misconduct in our Jail. Any crimes committed in the facility are investigated, arrests are made and the perpetrators are arraigned in the local criminal court. There is also an internal hearing process in the Jail; if found guilty through that procedure the inmate is fined $5 for each act of misconduct. This two pronged approach has had a tremendous impact on behavior and caused a dramatic reduction on misconduct in the facility.