Photo by Howard Owens.
Sheriff Bill Sheron, who retires at the end of the year, was honored at Terry Hills on Thursday evening as a man who has not only served the residents of Genesee County for 47 years but has also been an innovator who has developed new programs to fight crime and assist and protect the young people of the community.
Sheron helped create the Local Drug Task Force in 1989. As sheriff, he created the department's School Resource Officer program, instituted the teen academy to introduce high school students to careers in law enforcement, and oversaw the construction of a new state-of-the-art jail in the town of Batavia.
Sheron started his career with the Sheriff's Office just before his 19th birthday in 1977 as a dispatcher before moving to road patrol. He transferred to deputy sheriff in the jail, then road patrol, then sergeant, then investigator, and then chief deputy of road patrol in 1993, undersheriff in 1996, and sheriff in 2017.
Legislator Shelley Stein recognized Sheron's willingness to shoulder the burden for public safety in Genesee County.
"It's our privilege to be here to celebrate the years of service Bill Sheron has carried on behalf of Genesee County," Stein said. "At first, he took up a badge, and then he took the mantle, and he has carried that for us. And it's not an easy weight."
City Council President Eugene Jankowski, a retired Batavia PD lieutenant, said he understands that burden, noting that there are nearly 60,000 residents in Genesee County.
"He's responsible for every one of those people who live there," Jankowski said. "It's a lot of work. It's a lot of worry. It's a lot of dedication, and he truly deserves his retirement, and I wish him all the best."
Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
