Chief Sherman Yates, Palmyra Police Department

Palmyra Police Chief Sherman Yates, Rotarian Eric VanZeilen, Club President Mark Clement.

Eric VanZeilen introduced today's guest speaker, Chief Sherman Yates of the Palmyra Police Department. The first thing the chief asked us was not to call him "chief, except in an official capacity. "Sherm” was born and raised in Geneseo, New York. He started his police career with the Geneseo Police Deparment. As of September 1, he has 30 years as in law enforcement. He mentioned his friend Dick Kircchoff worked 33 years at Xerox, and he’s going to try to make that mark. Dick called out, “Eat your vegetables!”

Sherm came to the Palmyra PD in 2005, and retired from Palmyra PD in 2012. He worked part-time for the Macedon PD, when he was offered the position of chief in Palmyra. Under his leadership as chief, the Palmyra PD has implemented a community policing program, which is more interactive with the community. They visit business and schools to try to connect with the community.

Modernization was a big push for the PD when he came on board. This brought them into alignment with what the state and federal agencies needed from them, in regards to reporting requirements. Every PD in NY reports monthly to the state and federal governments regarding their activities – crimes reported, calls for service, etc.

The new system has reduced time spent on paper reporting by about 20 hours per month. This has freed the officers up to focus on other items. It took some time to implement the new computer software, but it has been very effective. This allowed the PD to finish the year under budget.

The Palmyra PD helps the local funeral homes with escorts for funeral processions. They try to respond to all calls for service, such as if a parent asks them to come out and talk with their children. They will come to the house and have a one-on-one conversation with the child in an effort to intervene before the child’s behavior goes too far.

Sherm is a fine example of why Palmyra’s Police Department maintains the small-town atmosphere we enjoy in our community. We thank him for his service and for taking the time to come chat with us today.