08/13/2026
Thank you to the Town of Tonawanda and Chief Flatau for investing in our officers and helping create a stronger, more united department.
The future is bright for the TTPD, and we are proud to be a part of it. ๐๐ฎโโ๏ธ๐ฎโโ๏ธ
๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ ๐
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ง๐ง: ๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฐ๐๐ง๐๐
Since becoming town supervisor in May of this year, I have spoken and written repeatedly about the importance of public safety. It remains my top priority. If we have a safe community, which we do, everything works better. We deserve to live in a community where public safety is paramount. As the former Erie County District Attorney, I know first-hand what communities need to do to protect its citizens: engage with the community, patrol the streets, and prevent crime while ensuring the safety of individuals and property.
Key to maintaining law and order is the Town of Tonawanda Police Department. The primary mission of the department is to uphold the rights of citizens and alleviate fear within the community by preventing crime and ensuring the safety of individuals and property. They do this with excellence.
I am pleased that the town and the Town of Tonawanda Police Club signed a new three-year contract in June, establishing a new, collaborative relationship. It remains in effect through the end of 2029.
We all know there were some difficulties between the town and the police club in 2025, but we were able to work through those issues thanks to Police Chief Corey Flatau, Police Club President Will Laugeman, and Detective Joseph Kazmark, as well as my Town Board colleagues: Councilwomen Gina Santa Maria and Jill OโMalley, and Councilmen Carl Szarek and Tim Hennessy. They worked for the past year to build new bridges, to build new relationships, and as a result, there is a new spirit of cooperation.
I also want to commend Louis Giardina and Kelsie Flynn from the townโs Labor Relations Department who helped craft the new contract. Subsequent contract talks between the town and the police club were done quickly, without any major issues. It was an honor for me to join my Town Board colleagues in unanimously approving the new contract at our June 13 meeting.
This new agreement and new era of cooperation should help TTPD recruiting. The department uses social media to reach out to potential officers, advertising a team-oriented department with growth opportunities. There are many different additional opportunities aside from patrol such as an ATV unit, bicycle unit, SWAT team, and community services bureau.
The department has updated equipment and uniforms and is focusing on developing a culture where officers feel appreciated and their work valued. The new agreement also provides one of the best pay and benefit packages in the area which should place TTPD among the most desirable departments in the region.
Last month, three officers graduated from Erie Countyโs Law Enforcement Training Academy, and another has just started training.
When you consider where the town and the police club were a year ago, and look at where we things stand today, I think it is safe to say it is a new day in Tonawanda. The contract benefits the taxpayers and residents of the Town of Tonawanda, as well as our police officers who are out there each and every day putting their lives on the line for all one of us.
The Town of Tonawanda is a safe place to live, work, and play. With this new agreement in place and a new attitude of cooperation, with continued vigilance, it will remain a safe community that is a destination for people and businesses.
