Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - For the first time in New York State Police history, a female trooper has been appointed Commander of Troop A.
During her 22 years of service, Major Amie Feroleto worked for six different troops throughout the state was able to juggle raising a family and getting a master's degree in criminal justice at the same time.
"I'm so grateful to be given this opportunity to lead the members of Troop A. I hope my role inspires the next generation of leaders, both women and men, to step forward to make a difference," said Feroleto in an interview with WBEN.
Feroleto started her career with New York State Police because her dad wanted her to be one.
"I actually had no plans on being a law enforcement officer, and my dad signed me up, told me I was taking the test, and it just kept rolling. I just can't imagine ever doing anything else. Now I'll have 23 years on next week," Feroleto said. "It's crazy how it went by so fast."
Feroleto is a proud supporter of the "30 by 30" initiative, which aims to have at least 30% female representation and recruitment classes by 2030.
"Our current class here at Cazenovia Academy has a little over 20% representation, so we're getting there. I really want everyone to know that this job is open to everybody as long as they qualify. We would love to have them come aboard and be troopers," Feroleto said.
With the new position, Feroleto wants to keep things simple and focus on making the roadways safer.
"The mission of the state police, and all law enforcement agencies, is to protect and serve the public and ensure the safety of our communities and keep our roadways safe. That's really what I intend for the members to do with professionalism, respect, and integrity," Feroleto explained. "I think if we keep it simple and stick to the mission, then we can handle anything that comes our way."
Feroleto says there's always something new to learn from and improve on, even from events outside of New York State, like the terrorist attack in New Orleans that left 14 people dead and dozens injured.
"We always want to learn from all events that happen, and we do this by working with other local agencies, sheriff's departments. Here in Batavia, we work with Buffalo Police Department a lot regarding mass gathering events, and together, we come up with the best plan that we can. We can't control for every variable, but we do our best to mitigate the risks and potential threats," Feroleto stated. "We create operational plan for any mass event, so the plan would dictate what kind of resources that we put towards it. We'd always have other troops available to help, if need be, for more manpower or resources."
Troop A is based out of Batavia and covers the Western New York region including Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming counties.
