Town of Tonawanda police officers receive fines for alleged strike
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — More than half of the Town of Tonawanda's police force returned from shifts this week to find letters of fines from Town Supervisor Joe Emminger.
The fines, officials said, stem from the officers' alleged participation in what is being described by town leadership as an 'illegal ticketing strike.'
A total of 44 officers received letters outlining the financial penalties, which the town claims are necessary in response to the alleged 15-day work slowdown. According to the letters, officers will be fined the equivalent of two hours of pay for each day they participated — which could amount to hundreds of dollars per officer.
'Our officers probably average about $50 an hour,' said Emminger. 'So multiply that by two, times the number of days they participated — this adds up.'
The fines will be deducted gradually from the officers' paychecks over the coming months.
While town officials defended the action as a necessary step toward resolving ongoing tensions, the Town of Tonawanda Police Club has strongly pushed back. Though declining an on-camera interview, Police Club President Andy Thompson released a statement accusing the town of unfair treatment.
'The town is on a witch hunt to persecute its own police force — paid for by you, the taxpayers,' Thompson said.
He also said that during the period in question, officers continued responding to a 40% increase in calls during severe winter weather, along with many regular patrol officers temporarily unavailable due to mandatory training — leaving fewer officers available to write tickets.
Emminger acknowledged the training, but noted that probationary officers continued issuing citations throughout the three-week period.
Adding fuel to the controversy, Thompson claimed that Emminger himself was not honest about Thompson's ticketing record — alleging that despite making a DUI arrest and issuing citations on February 1, he is still facing charges related to that day.
Emminger responded: 'A lot of those DWIs, from what I'm told, were called in by other parties. They did not initiate any tickets they didn't have to.'
The letters and looming fines have only deepened the rift between town leadership and the police union. Emminger emphasized the need for dialogue and the need to resolve the issue quickly.
'Eventually, we've got to get to where we are sitting down across the table from each other, and there must be some give and take on both sides,' said Emminger.
Officers have 20 days to appeal the fines, and Emminger expects that most, if not all, will pursue that route.
Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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