Saying it’s time for a new brand of leadership, former Greece Police Chief and Veterans Outreach Center Director Todd Baxter threw his hat in the ring for Monroe County Sheriff. The 51-year-old Baxter made his announcement at a Rally in Greece, followed by a press conference with area reporters that covered everything from police-community relations to his feelings about sanctuary cities.
Baxter is highlighting his experience as a soldier with 22 years in the U.S. Army, as a Rochester Police Officer going from patrolman to Captain of the East Side, and as the man brought in by Greece Town Government in 2010 to straighten out a corruption scandal in the Greece Police Department. Baxter switched from the Republican to the Democratic Party in order to take on incumbent Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn.
O’Flynn is a 34-year-veteran of the sheriff’s office and was elected sheriff in 2001 after serving as Andrew Meloni’s undersheriff.
Baxter became a registered Democrat as of Friday. He says he hasn’t changed his philosophy, and things like public safety and alternatives to incarceration cross party lines.
Baxter says as a law enforcement officer, he’d like to see a clear legal definition of Sanctuary Cities to guide the officer in the field. He says if federal agencies ask for help, they’ll get it from his department. But he says deputies shouldn’t be checking on people’s immigration status and demographics.