“As the spouse of a police officer, I will stand with Sheriff Allard and fight back”
A OPINION By Joe Racalto-Huang, Hornell NY
Scott Van Etten has crossed a line no public servant should ever cross — he is pushing to strip a sitting sheriff of his legal immunity, opening the door for law enforcement officers across Steuben County to be personally sued for doing their jobs. This isn’t just an attack on Sheriff Jim Allard — it’s an attack on every cop, deputy, and correctional officer who wears the badge to protect this community.
In January 2025, the Legislature voted 10–7 against filing an appeal in this case. The people’s representatives made their decision. But Van Etten refused to accept it. Exploiting a procedural loophole, he pressed forward on his own, determined to erase the sheriff’s immunity and set a precedent that could haunt every officer in the county for years to come.
The cost of this move? $500,000 in taxpayer funds — drained from county coffers to fuel one man’s political crusade. That’s half a million dollars that could have gone to repairing roads, funding emergency services, or strengthening public safety — instead poured into a fight with no clear benefit to the public. And while the county pays, Sheriff Allard must shoulder the cost of his own defense — a burden no officer should face when acting in the course of duty.
The question the public must ask is simple: why? Why would an elected official defy the will of the Legislature, commit such a staggering sum of taxpayer money, and risk undermining the entire law enforcement community? If there’s a sound, defensible reason, it has yet to be explained to the people footing the bill. There’s more to this story. Why is Van Etten so fixated on taking down Sheriff Allard? County residents deserve answers about his true motive, because no rational official launches such an aggressive, relentless assault on law enforcement under the guise of “fiscal responsibility” — especially when other county departments carry liabilities nearly triple that of the sheriff’s office. What is it that drives Van Etten’s vicious behavior towards one man?
Van Etten’s actions, in my view, are reckless, harmful, and a betrayal of the very people he is supposed to represent. He has turned his back on law enforcement, weakened public safety, and shown disregard for the taxpayers he swore to serve.
Every police officer, deputy, and correctional officer in Steuben County should see this for what it is: a direct assault on your ability to do your job without fear of personal financial ruin. This is not leadership, this is sabotage and it’s being carried out by someone who has placed personal agendas over public duty.
As the spouse of a police officer, I will stand with Sheriff Allard and fight back. I will help launch a legal defense fund to ensure no officer is bankrupted by this kind of political aggression. Because if Van Etten gets away with this, no one in uniform will be safe from becoming the next target.
*The Sun offers legislator Van Etten a standing invitation to provide his perspective on these issues.
