N.Y. County Law Enforcement Academy Celebrates 50 Years with New State-of-the-Art Facility

By Rick Pfeiffer

Source Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.

SANBORN — Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti wore a smile that stretched from ear to ear Tuesday afternoon as the Niagara County Law Enforcement Academy celebrated its 50th year of existence with the ribbon-cutting opening of its new state-of-the-art facility on the SUNY Niagara campus.

“We are entering a new era of law enforcement,” Filicetti said, “and I’m excited to show you what that looks like.”

Flanked by the chiefs of all of Niagara County’s municipal law enforcement agencies, Filicetti opened up the doors to the $8.3 million facility that is designed to provide a state-of-the-art training center to meet the current and future demands of preparing public safety professionals. It represents the largest investment in public safety ever undertaken in Niagara County.

“It is only fitting that we cut the ribbon during the 50th anniversary of the Niagara County Law Enforcement Academy,” Filicetti said. “We look forward to many years of this great facility providing high-quality training for new recruits and correction officers.”

The academy has already welcomed its first group of law enforcement recruits, with the arrival of its 83rd Basic Training Class.

Among those on hand for the facility’s formal opening was retired Niagara County Sheriff’s Office Tech Sgt. Sam Trapasso. A 36-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, he was a member of the academy’s first Basic Training Class in 1974.

Trapasso said comparing his academy facility to the new one was like comparing the “stone age” to modern times.

“Compared to the one-room classroom we had,” Trapasso laughed, “I’m very impressed.”

Trapasso, who worked on establishing the first use of computers, both at the sheriff’s office and in county government, said the technology in the new facility is “nothing short of amazing.”

“I thought we had the best of everything (in 1974),” he said. “I wish I could have had an academy like this.”

The academy project was a joint venture between Niagara County and the State University of New York ( SUNY), with the city of Niagara Falls also providing some funding. The building is located on the western end of the SUNY Niagara campus, next to parking lot 4.

The two-story structure is 15,000 square feet and features offices, classrooms and locker rooms on its first floor. The main floor is also equipped with a high-tech use-of-force simulator capable of producing thousands of scenarios that officers could encounter on patrol.

Entering the first-floor lobby, visitors are greeted by a video board that shows, on a continuous loop, pictures of all the academy’s basic training classes.

The second floor of the facility is outfitted with moveable walls to allow both recruits and veteran officers to train for a wide variety of reality-based tactical scenarios, including active shooters. It also has a simulated jail pod for training corrections officers and a large mat room for defensive tactics training.

The Law Enforcement Academy was founded on the then Niagara County Community College campus in 1974. It moved to Niagara University from 2011 to 2021, before returning to the now-renamed SUNY Niagara campus with the announcement of the construction of the new academy building in 2021.

The academy is jointly operated by the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and the Niagara Falls Police Department.

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