Sheriff and senator speak at corrections graduation ceremony
NORWICH – The Chenango County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) held a graduation ceremony on Tuesday, and representatives from Broome, Chenango, and Cortland counties along with New York State Senator Fred Akshar and Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting spoke at the event.
The celebration was held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, at the CCSO, and out of the 13 of graduates three were from Chenango County.
At the event, Sheriff Ernest Cutting spoke about the journey from recruit to corrections office, and the importance of staying well trained and aware when surrounded by individuals who may be at the lowest point in their lives.
"We're here today for corrections officer academy graduation, and after 10 weeks I'm proud to commend this class and the outstanding young men in it," said Cutting. "I've seen them training throughout the 10 weeks here, and they've done an excellent job."
The sheriff said while they've done an excellent job in the academy, it's important that they remain vigilant while on duty.
"What you learn in the field, will be challenged here at a daily basis," said Cutting. "The inmates have 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and in some cases 365 days a year to plan."
"Sometimes we oversee people will spend the rest of their lives thinking about the terrible things they've done," said Cutting. "They can suffer from medical or mental health issues without friends of family to rely on."
He said they must be treated fairly, with respect, and with compassion because they've been incarcerated to try to encourage them to improve their lives.
"Never ever forget the dangers that are inherent with the position you're taking on," he said. "Some of these officers will see terrible things, and they're going to need the support of their families."
New York State Senator Fred Akshar also spoke at the event, discussing his past employment with the CCSO, the difficulty of working in the corrections field, and advice he has for those considering a career in law enforcement.
"Many of you know my background is in law enforcement, but I spent the first two years of my law enforcement career here, with the Chenango County Sheriff's Office," said Akshar. "Sheriff Cutting, let me publicly thank you for your service, from my perspective you are a dedicated, community minded lawman and this community is incredibly blessed to have your steady hand maintaining public safety in the county."
He said the difficulty of working in corrections is matched by its levels of required responsibility.
"You are embarking in one of the most noblest professions that one can have," said Akshar. "By way of your positions, you will be afforded a great deal of power and authority, but with that power authority comes with a great deal of responsibility."
He said that responsibility includes judgement and ability to use discretion.
"As the sheriff said, you will be working everyday with individuals who may in fact be at the lowest point in their lives, and may reflect some of humanities worst failings," said Akshar. "You'll do that despite some of the harshest public scrutiny that any officer has faced in the history of our country, and I know that you're all up to the task."
He then offered the recruits some advise for their future careers.
"You should always remember your training – always remember the training that you got here at your corrections academy," said Akshar. "The divisive rhetoric in our nation today, and the fear of reprisal or retribution is really creating an atmosphere where officers of every kind have the potential to abandon their training when they have to make split second decisions."
According to Akshar, training is what allows the officers to work safely and successfully in their field, and without being able to rely on their training without second guessing themselves, it could cost the officers dearly.
Pictured: The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office held a graduation ceremony on Tuesday for the 13 corrections officers that graduated the academy, and both Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting and New York State Senator Fred Akshar II spoke at the event. (Zachary Meseck Photo)
The celebration was held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, at the CCSO, and out of the 13 of graduates three were from Chenango County.
At the event, Sheriff Ernest Cutting spoke about the journey from recruit to corrections office, and the importance of staying well trained and aware when surrounded by individuals who may be at the lowest point in their lives.
"We're here today for corrections officer academy graduation, and after 10 weeks I'm proud to commend this class and the outstanding young men in it," said Cutting. "I've seen them training throughout the 10 weeks here, and they've done an excellent job."
The sheriff said while they've done an excellent job in the academy, it's important that they remain vigilant while on duty.
"What you learn in the field, will be challenged here at a daily basis," said Cutting. "The inmates have 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and in some cases 365 days a year to plan."
"Sometimes we oversee people will spend the rest of their lives thinking about the terrible things they've done," said Cutting. "They can suffer from medical or mental health issues without friends of family to rely on."
He said they must be treated fairly, with respect, and with compassion because they've been incarcerated to try to encourage them to improve their lives.
"Never ever forget the dangers that are inherent with the position you're taking on," he said. "Some of these officers will see terrible things, and they're going to need the support of their families."
New York State Senator Fred Akshar also spoke at the event, discussing his past employment with the CCSO, the difficulty of working in the corrections field, and advice he has for those considering a career in law enforcement.
"Many of you know my background is in law enforcement, but I spent the first two years of my law enforcement career here, with the Chenango County Sheriff's Office," said Akshar. "Sheriff Cutting, let me publicly thank you for your service, from my perspective you are a dedicated, community minded lawman and this community is incredibly blessed to have your steady hand maintaining public safety in the county."
He said the difficulty of working in corrections is matched by its levels of required responsibility.
"You are embarking in one of the most noblest professions that one can have," said Akshar. "By way of your positions, you will be afforded a great deal of power and authority, but with that power authority comes with a great deal of responsibility."
He said that responsibility includes judgement and ability to use discretion.
"As the sheriff said, you will be working everyday with individuals who may in fact be at the lowest point in their lives, and may reflect some of humanities worst failings," said Akshar. "You'll do that despite some of the harshest public scrutiny that any officer has faced in the history of our country, and I know that you're all up to the task."
He then offered the recruits some advise for their future careers.
"You should always remember your training – always remember the training that you got here at your corrections academy," said Akshar. "The divisive rhetoric in our nation today, and the fear of reprisal or retribution is really creating an atmosphere where officers of every kind have the potential to abandon their training when they have to make split second decisions."
According to Akshar, training is what allows the officers to work safely and successfully in their field, and without being able to rely on their training without second guessing themselves, it could cost the officers dearly.
Pictured: The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office held a graduation ceremony on Tuesday for the 13 corrections officers that graduated the academy, and both Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting and New York State Senator Fred Akshar II spoke at the event. (Zachary Meseck Photo)
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