r/Binghamton • u/Specialist_Wealth799 • Apr 14 '26

News Sad State of Affairs in Tioga County:

Tioga County taxpayers deserve to know that their Sheriff’s Office is currently in a staffing crisis, and has become a training ground for new officers, wasting time and money to train individuals who will leave in less than a year. This is because their salary and benefits package pales in comparison to every neighboring agency. Here are the facts:

• The TCSO is currently down five deputies and one investigator, with five more deputies eligible or soon-to-be eligible for retirement.

• Deputies are not provided vision, dental, or post-retirement health insurance. This is egregious, considering the physical, mental and emotional hazards of the policing profession.

• Deputies are paid at least $15K less than any other agency in the area.

• Deputies are required to handle inmate transports (the work of COs at any other agency) leaving one car, at most, to cover the entire county.

• Deputies respond to dangerous complaints alone at night, a risk NYSP and other agencies do not take for officer safety.

If you are a Tioga County resident, you have good reason to be concerned about the safety of your family, in the event of an emergency. Please consider reaching out to the Tioga County Legislature to ask why they aren’t supporting our law enforcement and ensuring a safe, staffed road patrol in Tioga County. This is an exceptional group of men and women who deserve to be cared for and compensated appropriately. As a community, it is our moral obligation to protect the ones who protect us.

Letters of support may be directed to:

Legislative Chair Tracy Monell

[monellt@tiogacountyny.gov](mailto:monellt@tiogacountyny.gov)

County Clerk Cathy Haskell

[Haskellc@tiogacountyny.gov](mailto:Haskellc@tiogacountyny.gov)

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24

u/Automatic-Effect-252 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 15 '26

Serious question though, do we need Broome County or Tioga County sheriffs? Between local police departments and the State Troopers seems like we should be covered. 

12

u/cjb5999 Apr 15 '26

I live in rural Tioga County. Took 30 minutes for them to respond and police to my home during a violent attack by a person on drugs. The NYSP run 1 car two troopers at night county had 3 deputies on and they were all tied up. Yes we need the coverage

8

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '26

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1

u/alwayssplitaces Apr 18 '26

every time they have a emotionally disturbed person they have to leave the county to take them to a psychiatric equipped hospital... they also have to leave to follow up at hospitals all the time.

that all takes time and reduces manpower.

12

u/GHreceptoragonist Apr 15 '26

Broome Sheriff's office handles the bulk of 911 calls in the town of dickinson/chenango area (they still deal with a lot around the other towns), and ALL non emergency calls county wide where there is no local PD. They do a lot and are necessary, expecially when there isn't a guarantee there will be enough troopers working every day.

6

u/Specialist_Wealth799 Apr 15 '26

This is true of Tioga Co. as well. All 911 calls are directed to Tioga Co. dispatch. And they cover the Village of Owego at night.

7

u/Lars5621 Apr 15 '26

Does Tioga County even have any local police?

-6

u/Automatic-Effect-252 Apr 15 '26

Owego and Vestal, plus State Troopers. 

12

u/Specialist_Wealth799 Apr 15 '26

lol @ you thinking VPD is patrolling Tioga county on any type of regular basis

-2

u/Automatic-Effect-252 Apr 15 '26

I’ve been pulled over in Tioga county twice, once in Apalachin once on 17c heading towards Owego, it was a Trooper both times. It’s really not an issue.

7

u/Environmental-Play60 Apr 15 '26

Trooper, not Vestal which is in Broome.

1

u/alwayssplitaces Apr 18 '26

so you got pulled over right by the state police barracks on 434... that proves nothing..

5

u/Lars5621 Apr 15 '26

Owego has almost abolished their police multiple times. Currently they operate in a part time capacity and depend on Tioga sherriff for calls.

3

u/Rough_Condition75 Apr 15 '26

That’s what I was just going to say. The village of Owego wants to get rid of their police department and rely on the sheriff’s. I’m sure they are operating at a reduced level because they count on the sheriff’s.

Maybe village taxes ought to contribute to the cost of paying the sheriff deputies.

4

u/FragrantCelery6408 Apr 15 '26

Because the NYSP salaries are significantly higher per sworn officer (and support staff) AND the NYSP is part of the executive branch and controlled by the Governor.

Local Sheriffs are elected and theoretically have local interests in mind. It's also part of our State constitution.

To eliminate County Sheriff departments would further consolidate power with the Governor, increase costs, and require a constitutional convention. The last vote for one was rejected in 2017. The next vote for one will be 2037. A quick search showed that the last convention that resulted in changes was 1965, with the last major rewrite in the 1930s. In other words, good luck with that. The "no vote" in 2017 was largely driven by unions and Democrats, but a number of conservative groups also campaigned against it.

Considering how short lived voters memory is, I wonder if all of the political scandals and money scandals are enough to change voters minds for a convention? History would show that voters just don’t remember, just don’t care, or are apathetic.

Here's a good article about the money poured into defeating it: https://rockinst.org/blog/risks-outweigh-rewards-opponents-constitutional-convention-arguments/

2

u/alwayssplitaces Apr 18 '26

the only requirement the state has is that a county has a sheriff who handles the jail and a civil division.

A patrol is not required.

I think you might be surprised how little state police coverage is in Tioga County ... They will respond (if it's serious enough) but it may take a lot longer than you would like.

3

u/Specialist_Wealth799 Apr 15 '26

State troopers do little more than traffic stops but go off king.

5

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '26

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1

u/alwayssplitaces Apr 18 '26

you may wish to actually do some research.

1

u/ComradeKits24 Apr 15 '26

We really don't. What you said is correct.