Senate Resolution No. 552

BY: Senator RATH

HONORING Chief John C. Askey upon the occasion of
his retirement after 34 years of distinguished
service to the Town of Amherst Police Department

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
honor those distinguished officers who would devote themselves to public
service, demonstrating great courage and diligence in providing for the
care and welfare of the citizens of their communities and this great
Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Within every community of the State of New York there are
certain individuals who, by virtue of their commitment and dedication,
command the respect and admiration of their community for their
exemplary contributions and service on behalf of others; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Chief John
C. Askey upon the occasion of his retirement after 34 years of
distinguished service to the Town of Amherst Police Department; he will
officially retire on Friday, April 2, 2021; and

WHEREAS, John C. Askey was appointed Chief of Police for the Town of
Amherst in 2007; in this capacity, he oversaw the department, which
currently is comprised of 154 sworn officers and supported by 35 full
and part-time civilian employees serving 117,000 residents of Amherst,
the largest suburb of Buffalo, New York; and

WHEREAS, He joined the department in 1987 as a Patrol Officer and
rose through the ranks over a 20-year span; continual advancement was
always his professional goal; and

WHEREAS, In 1993, he was named a Lieutenant and supervised the field
training of new recruits; he also rose to the position of Commander of
the Emergency Response Team; in 1999, he was named a Captain, before
becoming the Assistant Chief of Police in 2006; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his duties as Chief, John C. Askey served on
the Joint Terrorism Task Force Executive Board for the Buffalo Office of
the FBI; and

WHEREAS, Chief John C. Askey has two merit awards from the
department to his credit, including one for his leadership during the
October 2006 storm; he also received the 2008 William French Smith
Award, presented by the U.S. Attorney General's Office for outstanding
contributions to Cooperative Law Enforcement; and

WHEREAS, John C. Askey's father served as Chief of the Amherst
Police Department from 1989 to 1999; it is the first time in the history
of the Town that the son of a former chief also served as chief; and

WHEREAS, Chief John C. Askey, who holds degrees in Legal Studies
from the State University of New York at Buffalo and Criminal Justice
from Erie Community College, knew since he was in high school, he wanted
to work in law enforcement and follow the tradition of his father as

well as his Uncle Tom, a retired major with the New York State Police;
and

WHEREAS, During his tenure as Chief, the Town of Amherst opened a
training complex and community policing center in a former
Harley-Davidson dealership in Eggertsville; and

WHEREAS, Chief John C. Askey had plans to retire last year but
stayed on through the end of 2020 to help the department manage the
challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, With him throughout have been his wife, Suzanne, and his
two sons, Brian and Kevin, all of whom feel privileged to be a part of
his life and rejoice in his achievements; and

WHEREAS, Under the seasoned leadership of Chief John C. Askey, the
Town of Amherst Police Department excelled in every aspect of
professionalism in the field of law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those
dedicated public servants who unselfishly devote their lives to the
preservation of order and the protection of others are worthy and due
full praise for their commitment and noble endeavors; now, therefore, be
it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Chief John C. Askey upon the occasion of his retirement, and to
wish him well in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Chief John C. Askey.