All six members of Western New York’s Democratic Assembly Delegation, including Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, back Kim Beaty for Sheriff
Erie County, NY — Today, Kimberly L. Beaty, the Democratic nominee for Erie County Sheriff, announced that she has received the endorsement of all six Democratic Western New York Assembly Members, including Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes and Assemblymembers Monica Wallace (D-Lancaster), Jon Rivera (D-Buffalo), Pat Burke (D-Buffalo), Bill Conrad (D-Tonawanda), and Karen McMahon (D-Amherst).
The elected state lawmakers represent nearly 780,000 constituents throughout Buffalo, Cheektowaga, Amherst, Tonawanda, Hamburg, Lancaster, Lackawanna, West Seneca, and Orchard Park.
“I’m honored to receive the endorsements of all six Democratic assembly members from our region,” said Chief Beaty. “My colleagues represent the people of Erie County, who are as diverse in thought as they are in geography, from downtown Buffalo to our suburbs to the furthest reaches of the Southtowns.
“They know first-hand the struggle of having a Sheriff who is absent from the Sheriff’s Office because they hear it from their constituents every day, from the neighborhoods in Buffalo who want a close community partnership with our police to the deputies working in our correctional facilities who are being forced to work mandatory overtime because management refuses to keep them properly staffed.
“We have the best opportunity right now to get in there and fix these problems. I am ready on day one to address the issues that have plagued the Sheriff’s Office for the last 16 years and I am the only candidate with the command experience to lead a police force of this size.”
“Kim is a fighter with a rare kind of fight: she has a toughness that gets the job done without anybody being hurt. And so many people have been hurt in our jails in Erie County. The Federal government has had to intervene. Many lawyers have been paid a lot of money defending the wrongs that have happened here. That could be all over on November 2nd. We need a person like Kim Beaty to make sure the job gets done right. I know Kim. I watched her in the Buffalo Police Department, I watched her ascend to Deputy Commissioner, I watched her as the Director of Public Safety at Canisius College. Everybody’s going to watch her do a great job when she’s Erie County Sheriff. I am proud to stand with my colleagues and endorse Kim Beaty to be the next Sheriff of Erie County.” said Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes
“Kim Beaty has decades of law enforcement experience and is the only candidate who knows how to supervise and manage a large police department. Her experience in crime prevention will help keep county residents safe, and her commitment to accountability and transparency will ensure the Sheriff’s Office is beholden to the people. I’m proud to endorse Kim Beaty for Erie County Sheriff, and I have no doubt that she will deliver the more professional and open Sheriff’s Office that the people of our county demand and deserve.” said Assemblywoman Monica Wallace
“Kim Beaty, through grit and determination, rose through the ranks to lead the largest police force in Western New York. I endorsed her in the Spring because I knew then that she was the most qualified person to bring real reform to the Sheriff’s office,” said Assemblyman Patrick Burke
“When the people of Erie County head to the polls to elect a new Erie County Sheriff, I strongly encourage them to cast their vote for Kimberly Beaty. I’m confident Kim will bring integrity and professionalism back to the Sheriff’s office. As the only candidate in this race with management experience, she’ll be ready from day one to lead the Sheriff’s department and restore the credibility and accountability that the people of Erie County deserve.” said Assemblywoman Karen McMahon
“A few months back, I had a one-on-one meeting with Kim Beaty and I was immediately impressed by her experience and vision for the Sheriff’s Office. I have no doubt that her career of service to the community has prepared her to be our next Erie County Sheriff, and I’m proud to support her. Now more than ever, we need and deserve law enforcement that is trustworthy, and Kim is the only candidate in the race for Sheriff who has the respect and qualifications needed to restore our faith in that office.” said Assemblyman Bill Conrad
“Kim is the only candidate who has unfailingly exemplified the qualities that we look for in our county’s highest law enforcement officer. With her 35-year-career in law enforcement, her 21 years of training in law enforcement as a Master Police Instructor, and her experience managing the second-largest police department in New York State, I have the utmost confidence that she will be able to restore integrity and transparency to the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. My constituents, and the people of Erie County, deserve nothing less than a Sheriff that can start the job on day one of repairing the damage that’s been done over the last 16 years and that’s why I’m endorsing Kim Beaty for Erie County Sheriff.” said Assemblyman Jon Rivera
Chief Beaty has over 35 years of experience in law enforcement, including 32 years with the Buffalo Police Department. She rose through the ranks to become the Chief of E-District and the Deputy Police Commissioner of Operations and Homeland Security from 2014 – 2018.
As the former Deputy Police Commissioner of a Police Department with over 800 employees, Chief Beaty is the only candidate with the command experience necessary to professionally and efficiently run a department of over 1,100 dedicated officers and staff. She has extensive experience in community policing, diversity-related issues, and crime prevention. She also served as a training officer at the Buffalo Police Training Academy for nine years, became a certified Domestic Violence Instructor, and has trained law enforcement across New York State as a certified Master Instructor for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.
A video of the full press conference can be found here: https://youtu.be/LyZQ79mrQ8o