National Guard Deployment Impacting Wayne County Jail

Wayne County Sheriff's Office is temporarily losing one road patrol deputy and two corrections officers, one of whom is a woman.

According to 13WHAM in Rochester, the deployment of National Guard members to state prisons amid a corrections officers' strike is creating staffing challenges for local law enforcement agencies, including those in Wayne and Ontario counties.

It was reported that Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione and Wayne County Sheriff Robert Milby have voiced concerns about losing deputies to the National Guard deployment, which has left gaps in road patrol and jail staffing. Cirencione confirmed that three of his deputies, who also serve in the National Guard, have been called to assist in the crisis.

Wayne County Sheriff Milby echoed these concerns, telling the news agency that his department is temporarily losing one road patrol deputy and two corrections officers, one of whom is a woman. This, he said, presents additional challenges, as state regulations require at least one female officer to be on duty at all times in the county jail.

"For an already stressed staff, this means even more overtime to meet the necessary standards," Milby said.

He also noted that if Wayne County cannot meet the staffing requirement, it may have to transfer female inmates to another county, increasing costs for taxpayers.

Both sheriffs also expressed concern about whether National Guard members are adequately prepared to handle correctional facility operations. Cirencione said that while his deputies are following orders and reporting for duty, the work inside a prison is vastly different from policing.

Milby also questioned the effectiveness of the deployment, stating, "I'm not sure calling up the National Guard will provide the relief the state is looking for because these individuals aren't trained for what’s happening inside these facilities."

The governor’s office responded to concerns, stating that Governor Kathy Hochul’s top priority is public safety and maintaining security inside state correctional facilities. A spokesperson for the governor added that if communities are worried about losing local law enforcement officers to the deployment, they should support efforts to get striking correctional officers back to work.