Last week, Niagara County Sheriff James Voutour was elected by its members - all of the elected and appointed sheriffs of New York State - as president of the New York State Sheriffs' Association, a not-for-profit corporation, formed in 1934, to assist sheriffs in "the efficient and effective delivery of services to the public."
After the election, held during the 81st Annual Winter Training Conference in Albany, Voutour was sworn in by Thomas Beilein, Chairman of the NYS Commission of Correction, and former Niagara County Sheriff, whom Voutour served under as his Chief Deputy during Beilein's tenure as Niagara County Sheriff.
In addition to education, the Sheriffs' Association is active in supporting or opposing laws.
In 2013, the Association filed an Amicus Curiae Brief in support of a federal challenge against New York's SAFE Act. Last year, based on constitutional considerations, the Association recommended its members refuse requests by federal immigration authorities to hold all foreign-born detainees for additional time so that they can be investigated for immigration-related offenses.