Erie County Sheriff's Dept. Report 2026
Erie County Sheriff's Dept. Official Website
February 12 - February 18, 2026
February 5 - February 11, 2026
Sheriff Garcia Message - February 2026
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Earlier this month – on February 4th to be exact – we observed the anniversary of John Camp’s appointment as the first Sheriff of Erie County. Fifty-four Sheriffs and 205 years later, the office has evolved into what it is today. The specific duties performed by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office have changed over the years, but our mission is the common denominator that binds it all together: to provide quality public safety services to our community by promoting a safe environment through police and citizen interaction, with an emphasis on integrity, fairness and professionalism.A lot of you may be surprised to learn how much work the Sheriff’s Office does. It goes far beyond providing patrol services to 60% of the county and operating two jails. Calls for service have increased for our road patrol deputies in recent years. We generated 119,650 case numbers in 2025, up 25% since 2022. Members of our Special Operations units such as K9, Aviation, Marine, SWAT, Bomb and more offer their expertise across all of Erie County and beyond. We have some of the best detectives in Western New York, including specialists in fraud, behavioral threats, fire investigation and special victims. Our deputies participate in several task forces and provide police services at Highmark Stadium and KeyBank Center.
Our Civil Division serves executions, evictions, Family Court process and more. Their workload is rapidly increasing as well, as evictions are up nearly 300% since the COVID pandemic. Through this work, our deputies generate approximately $1.3 million dollars in county revenues each year, a jump of about 50% since 2020.
In addition to our requirement to operate a jail (in our case, two jails), we are rapidly expanding programming for incarcerated individuals to meet the demands of modern correctional practices. This is labor-intensive work. However, it pays off in the long run. Better programming helps reduce recidivism, which in turn reduces the financial burden of incarcerating individuals. We also provide correctional health services to our incarcerated population. This work has increased in recent years with the expansion of the Medicaid Assisted Treatment program.
The Administrative Division supports all of this work and the employees who provide it, while the Professional Standards Division ensures our staff upholds the mission of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office day in and day out. In all, we are 1,200 sworn and civilian professionals who are dedicated to providing exceptional public safety services in Erie County. We will continue to do so for the next 205 years and beyond.
January 29 - February 4, 2026
January 22 - January 28, 2026
January 15 - January 21, 2026
January 8 - January 14, 2026
January 1 - January 7, 2026
Sheriff Garcia Message - January 2026
BUFFALO, N.Y. – The new year is here, and we are looking forward to unbroken progress at the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. We continue to take steps to modernize and professionalize this Office and uphold its mission to provide quality public safety services for our county’s residents. As we ring in 2026, we are welcoming a new leader to our team. Joseph Noeth has taken the reins as Superintendent of our Jail Management Division. Superintendent Noeth joins us with 32 years of correctional experience in the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. When he retired from the state in 2024, Noeth was serving as its Deputy Commissioner for Correctional Facilities. In that role, he oversaw all operations at 44 state prison facilities. I hired him for his supervisory abilities, sound judgement and vast experience, as he rose through the ranks and worked in 10 prisons across the state prior to his administrative appointment. Importantly, Superintendent Noeth is proficient in drug awareness. I believe this knowledge and skill will create a safer environment for staff and incarcerated individuals at the Erie County Holding Center and Erie County Correctional Facility.Noeth replaces Michael Phillips, who honorably served as our Jail Management Division Superintendent for four years and has now decided to retire. He has my admiration for all he has accomplished in that short time. During his tenure, Superintendent Phillips worked to successfully terminate consent decrees and the associated oversight by the state and federal governments. Programming for incarcerated individuals has expanded, and recidivism has decreased from 67% to 59% since 2021. That’s good news for everyone, including taxpayers. Mike deserves nothing less than many happy years of retirement, and I wish him the best.
I have no doubt that Superintendent Noeth will pick up right where Superintendent Phillips left off. He is surrounded by a terrific command staff, not to mention the hardworking deputies and correction officers that help make up the Erie County Sheriff’s Office’s greatest asset: its people. As our service to you extends into a new year, our commitment will not waver. Our staff is as dedicated as ever to upholding our mission and our responsibility to keep you and your family safe.
Sheriff Garcia Swearing In - January 2026
