The Town of Newfane is finalizing plans to establish multiple new peace officer positions.
Also known as constables, peace officers’ main duty would be to assist enforcement of local codes and ordinances.
Town attorney Jim Sansone previously said the town saw a need to enhance its code enforcement presence in light of several codes the town board is “correcting, amending and expanding,” including a new law regulating short-term rentals.
A public hearing on the constables proposal, held during the town board’s March 27 meeting, drew comment from one town resident, who raised a concern about the purpose of having constables in the town and suggested they would only be “serving at the will of the town board.”
“It concerns me that we would have a police force that’s designated specifically to selectively enforce the laws,” resident Dan Paul said.
In addition to code enforcement, the proposed law envisions the peace officers providing security at town government meetings as well as “crowd control” and traffic direction at town events.
The part-time positions would be filled by the town’s current dog control officers, Jeff Newman, Joseph Flagler and Kenneth Nerber. They would share code enforcement duties with town building inspector David Schmitt.
While the constables would also have the authority to act as town court officers, Sansone said there is no plan to have them serve in that capacity.
Town supervisor John Syracuse said that the next step is to receive approval from the Niagara County Planning Board.
From there, he hopes to bring the proposed local law to a vote during the board’s April 24 meeting.
The town also entered into an agreement with Niagara County to receive a surplus 2021 Dodge Charger from the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle is to be used by the town’s dog control officers and code enforcement department.
“It will help us save on mileage reimbursement for the dog control officers,” Syracuse said. “It will also allow us to be compliant with New York State (Department of Agriculture and Markets) and the dog control officers’ requirement on having proper restraining of a dog. Right now it’s extremely challenging to put a large cage in the back of a non-municipal vehicle or some of the private vehicles.”
Syracuse said the town will receive the vehicle from the county “within in the next 30 days.”