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| Walt Mackney |
Mackney told the crowd that "the illegal drug trade has become a plague that has tainted the very fabric of American life. It has shattered people's lives and destroyed individuals and families." He continued, "the additional property crimes that are incidental to the drug trade costs taxpayers in lost personal property, increased insurance rates and the drain on police resources. That plague is everywhere and it has become evident that it is here in Allegany County."
Mackney, who lives in Andover and will turn 62 later this month, is no stranger to policing. He began his career in 1979 as a patrol officer in Cuba. In the 35 years that followed, he was a deputy sheriff, uniformed trooper, state police investigator and finally senior Investigator. He also commanded the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force.
Mackney retired from the state police in 2014, but his journey was far from over. He said he 'returned to his roots" as a part time patrol officer in Cuba. He was also hired as an Investigator with the Steuben County District Attorney's Office assigned to coordinate narcotics investigations. " Now with 39 years in law enforcement experience behind me, I want to give back to the citizens of Allegany County...so that is why I am now announcing my candidacy for the Office of Sheriff of Allegany County," he said this morning.
In a carefully crafted message, Mackney said today "in previous elections, I have heard candidates speak of brining about fiscal responsibility. I think that they are looking at things from the wrong perspective...I think that what we really need to look at is fiscal accountability. In others words, we need to show that we got a dollar's worth of work for a dollar's wages." He added, "I believe that there are areas in the current Sheriff's administration that need to be reviewed."
Why now
Mackney says he was approached by people, some inside the county government, a couple of years ago and encouraged him to run. "My big thing is the narcotics issue," he said adding that "I don't think the current administration is doing enough to attack it." Mackney said "We need a fresh perspective...I think things need to change."
Road patrol
It's often a topic that sinks many candidates. Regarding the need for a patrolling sheriff's department, Mackney said "until the people of Allegany County say we want a road patrol...then and only then, is the time you would move forward.
Familiar faces in the crowd
Saturday's audience was filled with faces old and new, retired and active. Mackney took a moment to recognize current and former police chiefs from Alfred and Cuba, DEC officers, former sheriff Larry Scholes, former New York State Police Superintendent Pedro Perez as well as his own family. There were plenty of Cuba police officers on hand as well as retired deputies. The Hornell police chief was spotted as were other Steuben County agencies.
Primary battle likely
Mackney is a Republican. The current sheriff, Rick Whitney is also a Republican. Whitney has not yet announced if he will seek re-election, but if he does, it will result in a rare Allegany County Republican primary in September. If there is a primary, the winner will most likely win the seat since there have been no indications of a Democrat candidate in the heavily red county.
Work extends to Erie County
Mackney has been a local fixture in Allegany County law enforcement, but his reach extends across Western New York. According to Mackney's resume, since 2014, he has been the security supervisor for the Erie County Fair. His duties include dignitary protection and protecting the average one million attendees. Currently, he serves as the Assistant Director with department size of about 120 armed and unarmed officers. Ironically, his supervisor is David Gresham, former Wellsville resident who commanded the state police barracks in Amity.
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| L-R: Deborah Mackney (wife), Walt Mackney, Corwin Mackney (son). Not present, Amanda Mackney, daughter |
