Herkimer County Sheriff Chris Farber released the following announcement Thursday, June 11 as he seeks a fourth consecutive term as Herkimer County Sheriff:

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Today, I am announcing my intentions to run again to represent the great people of Herkimer County as your Sheriff. Proudly, you have trusted me to be Sheriff for the past 12 years. 

I have lived and worked in Herkimer County all my life. I was a Town Justice for more than 20 years and handled thousands of cases from vehicle and traffic violations, to criminal and civil cases.

I have been actively involved in our community for more than 30 years and participate in and donate to many organizations. I am out in the community every year not just election year. I know the issues and what people in the whole county are concerned about.

I have thought of the money the Sheriff’s office spends, as if it was coming out of my own pocket. The following are some of the ways I have streamlined and cut cost in the department since taking office:

• Standardized all weapons and ammunition to make training safer and making storing and accountability of ammunition easier.

• Standardized the vehicles that we use.  These vehicles are much more efficient and cost effective to run.

• Implemented the Live Scan and Card scan Finger printing system, by obtaining a grant which has saved the county money as well.

• Implemented a new ID and proximity card system, a new pistol permit system, a new civil software system, a new boat for the county to patrol the waters, a duress system in the county buildings to improve the safety of the county employees as well as our visitors.

• Implemented the Operation Safe Child identification system.

• Continued training of our Corrections Officers, Deputies and staff.

• Acquired a grant for a new computerized jail management system.

• Installed Drug Drop Box in Sheriff’s Office to remove unwanted prescription drugs from the streets

• Acquired new Project LifeSaver to help keep our most vulnerable population safe

• Worked with FEMA to acquire funding to make repairs to the County firing range

Most all of the above items were purchased with grant funding. Further, the ID system housed and operated by the Herkimer County Sheriff’s Office, has been used to produce secure IDs for local police departments and for all firefighters in our county. We’ve worked closely with many of our local law enforcement agencies to execute grants that make sense for our county.

As Sheriff, I was one of the first to oppose the NYS SAFE Act. I signed on with the NYS Sheriff’s Association to join the lawsuit against the NYS SAVE Act.

I am currently the 1st. Vice President of the NYS Sheriff’s Association. I was the 2014 Co Recipient of the “Champion of Children’s Award” and I am the Chairman of the Jail Committee representing the NYS Sheriff’s Association.

I have had the honor and the privilege of being your Sheriff for the past 12 years. I have experienced two major floods in our county working to bring together law enforcement and services for our residents devastated by these disasters.

I take a business approach to the issues that face the Sheriff’s Office every day. I know that long hours and hard work pay off in the end and I believe that I am the only candidate with the real experience that counts.

I humbly ask for your continued support and request that you select me, once again, as your Sheriff.

Thank you all, Christopher P. Farber, Herkimer County Sheriff