Investigator with Task Force says unit kept drugs off streets, making community safer

Editor:

I’m furious that Sheriff Chris Bourke would risk your family’s safety by working to abolish the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force — just days after I announced my candidacy for Sheriff.

The Task Force was a crucial crime-reduction division. As an Investigator, we kept drugs off your streets like fentanyl, arrested nearly 50 felony-level drug dealers peddling poison, and kept dangerous loaded guns out of your neighborhood.

Think about the Andre Robinson Cocaine Enterprise case that took down a major drug trafficking operation.

It was a major success, and we’re safer because of the Task Force.

Now, Chris Bourke is putting his own personal political gain ahead of the safety of your family, businesses and local schools. You can’t go any lower than this.

While Kathy Hochul and New York City Democrats push policies like Bail Reform that make us less safe, we can’t be moving backwards here at home.

I’ve lived in Orleans County for over 30 years. We know better than to play political games with public safety and our way of life.

How would you feel knowing there will be hundreds of pounds of illicit drugs still on the streets and countless illegal guns in the hands of criminals left unchecked?

I fought every day to keep Orleans County residents safe from drugs, guns and other dangerous crime.

But the criminals win when Chris Bourke puts his politics ahead of Orleans County families.

I’m calling for the immediate re-instatement of the Major Felony Task Force so I can keep fighting to make Orleans County a safer place and lock up dangerous criminals.

Brett Sobieraski

Kent

Sobieraski worked as an investigator in the Major Felony Crime Task Force, and is retired as a sergeant from the Rochester Police Department.