Latest news with #MichaelFilicetti
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sheriff's disability registry helps police identify people with special needs
A new Niagara County Sheriff's Office initiative allowing residents to voluntarily pre-identify if they have communication difficulties is one the sheriff has enrolled in himself. The public can request Disability Response Decals for vehicles and homes and register themselves or someone they care for who may have dementia, developmental disorders, or disabilities that affect communication. 'I have a daughter with disabilities and I have one on the side of the vehicle that she is in,' said Sheriff Michael Filicetti. 'I also have one on the house. The whole idea is to give a first responder a heads up that someone is potentially non-verbal and it alleviates some of the unknowns on why the person is acting the way that they're acting.' 'When you sign up to get a decal, you could also make a request to have an alert added for the residence,' Filicetti said. 'So when 911 comes in, there's not only a sticker, but they get a call from dispatch that a person who's there has autism or Down syndrome. It can also alert to contact a caregiver with contact information provided.' 'It's really preloading information so we know who we're dealing with,' he said. 'There's been tragedies across the country where first responders dealt with an individual with disabilities, not knowing they have disabilities.' Filicetti said emergency responders assess situations by asking questions and observing an individual's response. While deputies get training on people with disabilities in the sheriff's academy, he said there is still a potential for cues to be misinterpreted. Describing a possible response situation, he said, 'You're asking questions of somebody who is not capable of giving a response. It may lead you to believe that something is going on in this house because they're being evasive and not answering. In fact, it's not that at all. They have a disability.' 'I think it's a great idea,' said Maureen Wendt, president and CEO of the Dale Association senior center. 'Any time we can make it easier for first responders in a situation, all the better. It's something that I would want for our participants in Memory Minders, so we could get it in the hands of caregivers as well.' 'There's a certain amount of chaos or increased activity going on anytime there's an emergency situation,' Wendt said. 'Sometimes you would have three different entities respond and they all take down documentation separately. Especially if there was somebody with dementia, and their caregiver wasn't home at the time, getting the right information as quickly as possible would help the situation.' Doug Usiak, executive director of Western New York Independent Living, a disability advocacy organization, expressed concern that anyone could register someone they know in the system. 'These registries are open to the public,' Usiak said. 'I've heard of cases where neighbors enter the next door neighbor. You can fill that registry out about me, based on whatever it is you know about me. It infringes on your right to live independently and freely in your community and gives people the authority to label you.' 'We have not run into this scenario,' Filicetti said. The sheriff said the registry information is confidential, and family and guardians would likely register someone with a communication disability. 'We did this for my daughter,' he said. 'She wouldn't have done it herself.' The sheriff said that during registration, caregivers provide their contact information for use by dispatchers. This step would also help verify their relationship. 'At the end of the day, the person would have to put the stickers on the car or house,' Filicetti said. 'If somebody called and said their neighbor had dementia, please put a sticker on their house, we wouldn't do that. We wouldn't take requests from an uninvolved party.' Community members can call the sheriff department's non-emergency phone number at 716-438-3393 to register. The information required to add an alert for a person with disabilities includes the person's full name, date of birth, height, weight, emergency contact information, and some details about their disabilities.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
Police search is on for brothers missing from Wyndham Lawn
LOCKPORT — Two young brothers in the care of Wyndham Lawn Residential Services for children have been missing since April 4. According to Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti, Adam Wisniewski, 15, and Dylan Wisniewski, 14, both residents at the facility at 6395 Old Niagara Road, are the subjects of a missing persons investigation. Filicetti said Wyndham Lawn was the last known location of the brothers, and the boys are known to frequent locations in the city of Lockport. Flyers featuring the names and photos of the juveniles have been posted in public places in the Lockport area directing community members to contact the sheriff's office or WNY Missing and Unidentified Persons. Filicetti said the brothers' names have been entered into the eJustice nationwide database to alert all law enforcement agencies. 'We've received some information and we'll look into those tips as they come in,' he said. The 211 WNY web page states that Wyndham Lawn Residential Program is a 'highly structured, therapeutic residential environment for children and youth who have experienced trauma or emotional, behavioral, and educational challenges. Individualized treatment includes counseling, therapeutic recreation, life skills development, medical and psychiatric services, and family reunification/permanency planning. Henrietta G. Lewis Campus School is located on-grounds and offers special education services.' Services are provided 24 hours a day for youth ages 12 to 20. New View Alliance, the parent company of Gateway-Longview, Inc. which operates Wyndham Lawn, provided a written response to questions about supervision of residents. Mario Hicks, vice president of development and mission advancement, said, 'We are committed to upholding the confidentiality and safety of all individuals in our care; therefore, we cannot confirm or disclose the identity of any youth in our programs or safety and well-being of the youth we serve — and their support systems — is our highest priority.' 'In the event that a youth is away without leave from one of our programs, our staff follow strict, established protocols,' Hicks said. 'This includes immediately notifying the appropriate local law enforcement agency and actively collaborating with authorities to support a safe and swift return. Our team remains fully engaged and vigilant in following every step necessary to protect the youth in our care.' Meghan Lutz, Niagara County Department of Social Services commissioner, could not speak to the circumstances that bring individuals to be placed at Wyndham Lawn, since the facility accepts youths from several counties and offers a variety of programming. Filicetti said Wyndham Lawn is a non-secure facility, with individuals placed there for a variety of reasons, including by court order. He said the site has a history of residents leaving the facility and triggering missing persons reports. In some cases, Filicetti said, individuals have run away more than 10 times, with each instance requiring the sheriff's office to separately investigate the disappearance and relocation of the individual. Filicetti said individuals have returned to Wyndham Lawn safely and of their own accord in the past. 'It's gotten out of control,' he said. 'At what point do we change what we're doing so this doesn't continue to happen? Do these individuals belong in a non-secure facility when we're going there as many times as we are?'
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Yahoo
Holiday traffic safety blitz nets arrests
Local law enforcement agencies had an active St. Patrick's Day weekend, as they blitzed area roadways as part of their ongoing targeted high-visibility traffic safety campaigns. After two consecutive safety initiatives failed to record any impaired driving arrests, participating police departments between March 13 and 18 registered single arrests each for driving while intoxicated (DWI) and driving while impaired by drugs (DWAI). The effort, centered around the March holiday weekend, used enhanced road patrols that saw officers and deputies engage with 54 motorists. Those traffic stops resulted in 41 vehicle and traffic law citations issued. Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti, whose office tracks the effectiveness of the traffic safety initiative, hailed the results. He said the goal of the initiative is to 'bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving.' 'It's to stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives,' he said. The high-visibility law enforcement effort is part of a yearly statewide initiative that is promoted and funded by STOP-DWI New York and the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee. Over the course of enhanced patrols during the 2024 Christmas, New Year's, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Super Bowl, St. Patrick's Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays Niagara Region law enforcement agencies participating in the safety campaign conducted 241 traffic stops, accompanied by 11 secondary screenings. That activity led to 6 arrests for driving while intoxicated and 1 for driving while ability impaired by drugs for the year. Officers and deputies also made an additional 13 arrests on non-traffic related charges, while issuing 173 vehicle and traffic law citations, including 4 for no seat belt. The St. Patrick's Day enforcement effort resulted in a single seat belt ticket and two non-vehicle and traffic-related arrests. Locally, Niagara County Sheriff's Office deputies and officers from New York State Park Police, North Tonawanda, Niagara Falls, Lockport, Lewiston, Middleport and Town of Niagara police departments participated in the enforcement efforts. 'We focus our engagement on impaired driving,' Filicetti said. 'While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol and drug-related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers.'
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Yahoo
Local traffic safety blitzes gaining results
LOCKPORT — It may be a case of mission accomplished for Niagara Region law enforcement agencies, as a second straight targeted high-visibility traffic safety campaign failed to record any impaired driving arrests. In an effort centered on the Super Bowl weekend of Feb. 8-9, local police agencies, using enhanced patrols, made only two arrests, both for crimes not related to traffic safety. They also conducted 58 traffic stops, resulting in the issuance of 48 vehicle and traffic law citations. The results continue a trend that began to emerge in holiday-related high-visibility safety campaigns throughout 2024. In a two-week effort that spanned the Christmas and New Year's holidays, officers and deputies made no drunken driving arrests and only one arrest for driving while ability impaired by drugs (DWAI). Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti, whose office tracks the effectiveness of the traffic safety initiative, says its goal is to 'bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving.' The sheriff said the bottom line for the safety efforts is, 'To stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives.' Over the course of enhanced safety patrols during the 2024 Christmas, New Year's, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Super Bowl, St. Patrick's Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays Niagara Region law enforcement agencies conducted 241 traffic stops, accompanied by 11 secondary screenings. Those stops and screenings led to 6 arrests for driving while intoxicated (DWI) and 1 for driving while ability impaired by drugs (DWAI) for the year. The safety campaigns also netted an additional 13 arrests in non-traffic related charges. Officers and deputies, during the 2024 campaigns, issued 173 vehicle and traffic law citations, including 4 for no seat belt. The annual statewide enforcement initiatives are promoted and funded by STOP-DWI New York and the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee. Locally, New York State Police troopers, Niagara County Sheriff's Office deputies and officers from New York State Park Police, North Tonawanda, Niagara Falls, Lockport, Lewiston, Middleport and Somerset police departments participated in the enforcement efforts. 'We focus our engagement on impaired driving,' Filicetti said. 'While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol and drug-related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers.'
