Genesee County Sheriff

An idea that began with Genesee County Legislator Gary Maha and moved onto the town of Batavia and throughout the county Sheriff’s Office and beyond to erect a well-deserved memorial parkway sign in the name of the late Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello will now serve as a daily reminder for passersby.

A portion of Park Road, from Veterans Memorial Drive to Richmond Avenue, in the town of Batavia, has been designated as the Sgt. Tom Sanfratello Memorial Parkway in honor of the fallen longtime member of the Sheriff’s Office who died in an incident at Batavia Downs March 10. 

“Officer Tom Sanfratello embodied bravery, selflessness and dedication. His service protected our community, inspiring us all,” Batavia Town Councilwoman Patti Michalak said during a dedication ceremony Wednesday on Park Road. “This road serves as a permanent tribute, reminding us of his commitment and sacrifice to the family of Officer Sanfratello. We offer our deepest condolences and gratitude. May this dedication bring comfort and pride, and may Officer Sanfratello’s memory continue inspiring us forever.”

Michalak then read a proclamation that, “whereas, Sgt. Thomas A. Sanfratello served and protected the citizens of Genesee County as a deputy sheriff for 28 years, and tragically gave his life in the line of duty on March 10, 2024. And whereas, the town board would like to honor and recognize Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello for his sacrifice by dedicating a portion of Park Road, the Sgt. Tom Sanfratello Memorial Park Road, now let it be proclaimed that the town board does hereby declare that a portion of Park Road, from Veterans Memorial Drive to Richmond Avenue, shall be designated as the Sgt. Tom Sanfratello Memorial Parkway in honor of Sgt. Thomas A. Sanfratello’s sacrifice.”

Undersheriff Bradley Mazur thanked Batavia Town Supervisor Greg Post, town council members and Highway Superintendent Ray Tourt, the county Legislature and Maha, who was also the former county sheriff.

“Legislator Maha approached the town with this idea to move forward with this dedication, and because of his dedication to that, we were able to make this happen,” Mazur said. 

Sanfratello’s sister, Michelle Panasiewicz, thanked everyone for attending and honoring her brother, emphasizing that it couldn’t have happened without everyone’s help.

“This couldn’t have been done without you, and for the support of all of you as we embark on this journey without him. Yes, it’s been difficult, and I’m sure it will be difficult as we go on, but we appreciate each and every one of you as we continue on,” she said. “As we drive down the road and see this, we truly appreciate it. And again, it wouldn’t be done without each and every one of you who made this possible. So, on behalf of the Sanfratello family, the Panasiewicz family, the Diehl family and the Coffey family, we truly appreciate each and every one of you. So thank you. We truly appreciate what you have done. Thank you, and God bless each and every one of you.”

Barry Flansburg represented state Assemblyman Steve Hawley, who was unable to attend, and presented a certificate of merit from the New York State Assembly. The memorial road will serve several purposes, he said.

“One, it will forever honor the sacrifice that Sgt. Sanfratello made,” Flansburg said. “It will also be a reminder to all his fellow deputies and members of the Sheriff's Department, as they see this, as they come to work, and also to the public, for them to remember the dedication of Sgt. Sanfratello, and all the members of law enforcement in Genesee County and the 139th District. So, on behalf of Assemblyman Hawley, I would like to present this certificate to the family.”

Members of the nonprofit Tour de Force were also there to pay tribute and make a donation to the family. The group has nearly 300 riders each year to raise money for families to “make sure we take care of all the New York police officers” that are killed in the line of duty, Robert DePaolis, a retired New York Police detective, said. 

“So when police officers are killed, we sit together, sit down as a board and pick which police officer across the country that we’re going to make the donations to, based on how many, the number of kids there are,” he said.  “We ride our bike from either D.C. to New York or New York to Boston every year to raise this money. Two years ago we rode from one of the hotels in Amherst, we just did four different rides in the Buffalo area so we’re pretty familiar with the area.”

The group donated a check for $10,000 to Panasiewicz for the family. 

In light of an explosion today at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls of an undetermined nature, Genesee County Sheriff William A. Sheron, Jr. would like to remind citizens to be conscious of their surroundings and to report any suspicious activity immediately to local law enforcement by dialing 9-1-1.

For those that haven't heard the news, two people died, and a Border Patrol officer was injured when a vehicle exploded Wednesday at the Niagara Falls International Rainbow Bridge border crossing between the United States and Canada, according to a New York Times article. 

The FBI is investigating the incident.

The article cited two American law enforcement officials "with knowledge of the matter."

The cause of the explosion, its precise location and the direction that the vehicle had been traveling were not immediately clear, the article stated. A video from the scene showed what appeared to be an inspection booth at the bridge, with smoke billowing out of the top and debris surrounding it.

Press Release:

Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of LeRoy Police Department will be participating in a coordinated effort with the STOP-DWI program to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving.

The Super Bowl is America’s most watched national sporting event and Super Bowl Weekend is historically a deadly period for impaired driving. In a combined effort to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives, law enforcement officers across New York State and STOP-DWI programs will be participating in special engagement efforts.

The statewide STOP-DWI efforts begin Friday, and will end on Monday.

Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaign aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving.

Remember: Impaired driving is completely preventable. All it takes is a little planning. If you are impaired by drugs or alcohol and thinking about driving, pass your keys on to a sober driver.