Scribner, retired Albion police sergeant, honored for 20 years as instructor at Rural Police Academy
Photo courtesy of Dena Scribner: Bill Scribner on Saturday was recognized for his 20 years of service as an instructor at the Rural Police Academy at Genesee Community College. Scribner, a retired Albion police sergeant, is currently Deputy Chief for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police Department. He is pictured with some of the Rural Police Academy staff, including from left: retired Attica Police Chief John Laird, assistant director of Police Academy; Michael Miller, Rural Police Academy staff member who is retired from the Greece PD and a current deputy with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department; Rob Tygart, Rural Police Academy staff member and investigator with Ogden PD; Brittany Cushman, RPA staff and deputy with Livingston County; Bill Scribner; Jason Yasso, RPA staff and chief deputy with Livingston County Sheriff’s Office; Roland Nenni, RPA staff and Albion and Holley police chief; Doug Brooks, RPA director and a retired police chief.
BATAVIA – A retired Albion police sergeant was recognized on Saturday for his 20 years of service as an instructor with the Rural Police Academy at Genesee Community College.
Bill Scribner of Lyndonville was honored during commencement ceremony at GCC for 25 graduates in the nearly year-long program.
Scribner graduated from the program in 1997. Since 2000, he served as one of the class instructors.
“I felt a commitment to give back to that police academy,” Scribner said.
After he graduated, he was asked to give a lecture to the class. That turned into leading several different courses for the students.
Scribner has taught courses on report writing, vehicle and traffic stops, narcotics and dangerous drugs, animal abuse cases, courtroom testimony and procedures, domestic violence, persons with disabilities, and mental health – mental hygiene law (getting people care who are in crisis) and mental health of officers and coping with stress of job.
Scribner attended NCCC for instructor development school as part of his qualification to lead the classes.
Since he retired from the Albion Police Department in 2015, he has worked for the Western New York VA Healthcare System as a police officer the past 5 years, including the past 2 ½ as the deputy chief for a group of 39 officers who worked at the Buffalo VA, Batavia VA and nine community-based outpatient clinics.
Scribner said teaching the courses and being on staff at the academy has helped him to be a better police officer and leader.
“It was a great way to keep up with the changes of the laws and changes in the police academy,” Scribner said.
When he graduated in 1997, graduates needed 499 hours of coursework and firearms training to complete the program. Now it’s about 850 hours, with an expanded course on domestic violence and mental health.
The graduates from Orleans County in the new class from the academy include Morgan Ewert and John Martek from the Holley Police Department, and Matthew Prawel from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.
