The Ontario County Sheriff Republican primary is Thursday. 

Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero is retiring, leaving open the seat for the first time in 28 years.

There are two Republicans facing off in Thursday’s primary: Gates Police Sergeant Silvio Palermo and Bristol Town Supervisor Bob Green.

Besides his role in law enforcement, Palermo has also served for six years on the Victor town council, four of which he was also the deputy town supervisor.

He has earned endorsements from the county's Republican, Conservative and Independence parties.

 “I feel I have the perfect mix of law enforcement experience that spans 20 years, 12 years of police management experience, local municipality experience, but you also have to have the right attitude to connect to the people." Palermo said.

Green served for 30 years in the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office before retiring as a lieutenant before moving on to his role as a training technician with the state's Homeland Security office.

Through his role in Bristol, he currently chairs the county’s public safety committee.

 “I spent my entire career here. I understand our communities, I’m very involved in our communities," Green said. "I’m involved with the Partnership for Ontario County; I’m on the board of trustees for them. I’m involved with the volunteer fire departments, the MS agencies…and so I understand the issues that come into the communities.”

 

 

Both men see the opioid crisis and school safety as issues they want to handle aggressively if elected sheriff.   

Green wants to continue the work after the county placed school resource officers in every school.

“We’re really proud of that achievement, but it was a collaborative and joint effort with the public safety committee, the administration of the county and the administration of the schools within the county," Green said.

Palermo wants to build on that action.

“I want to develop a threat assessment task force for each school that combines a school resource officer with mental health and school administrators so they can form a plan for every threat that comes to their school district,” Palermo said.

On the opioid epidemic, Green wants to ramp up the county's drug task force.

“I want to work with the New York State Sheriff’s Association, I’m a member of that, and that National Sheriff’s Association to see what best practices are out there to deal with this opioid crisis,” Green said.

Palermo wants to treat every fatal overdose as a homicide investigation.

“At this point, the drug dealers know they’re selling poison,” Palermo said. “People are dying from what they’re selling. So we have to have a strong, aggressive platform in targeting drug dealers. But it goes beyond that. We also need a strong outreach.”

The winner will take on Democratic candidate Kevin Henderson in the general election on November 6.