SHERIFF BACKS RANDOM DRUG TESTING

Buffardi Says He Will Hold Applicants for Guard Positions to High Standards

SCHENECTADY - After firing seven corrections officers from the county
jail over the last four months, Sheriff Harry Buffardi said he
intends to hold applicants to higher screening standards and push for
random drug testing.

Six out of the seven officers fired since December were terminated
because of their alleged involvement with drugs. Five of those
officers are challenging Buffardi's decision to terminate them
through the Sheriff's Benevolent Association's arbitration process.

Buffardi plans to push for drug testing during the next contract
negotiations in 2003.

In addition to random drug testing, Buffardi said he plans to hold
job applicants to a higher standard.

Since Buffardi took office in 1998, he has improved the process to
check applicants' backgrounds to include interviews with neighbors
and a screening for credit problems.

Buffardi said a history of serious credit problems could be an
indicator that a person may not be suitable to be a jail guard. A
person with serious debt could be tempted to engage in unacceptable
behavior at the jail, such as selling cigarettes, he said. One
cigarette can be sold for $5 at the jail, Buffardi said.

The background investigation also includes a check with past
employers, a criminal history, fingerprinting, an initial drug
testing, a psychological screening and a physical.

Prior to the background screening, applicants must take a civil service exam.

Many of the current background standards were developed when Buffardi
became an administrator 12 years ago, he said. All of the employees
who have been fired were hired prior to the current standards, he
said.

Sandra Madison lost her jail job Tuesday after she was arrested by
city police and charged with hindering the prosecution in connection
with the February murder of Kumar Farrell.

Madison allegedly drove Jamal McIntosh and Tyrone Lewis, two men who
were with the victim at the time of his murder, to a hiding spot in
the Bellevue neighborhood. Authorities believe Madison was at one
point romantically involved with McIntosh. Neither McIntosh nor Lewis
were charged with the murder. However, Schenectady Police Lt. Brian
Barnes told The Daily Gazette last Monday that the two will likely be
charged in connection with Farrell's shooting.

Mario Young, 26, of Brooklyn was arraigned last Monday on a murder
charge in connection with Farrell's killing.

Buffardi said he was aware that Madison had relationships with
convicted felons in the past and added that he had been leery of the
situation but didn't do anything about it. Madison was a 16-year
veteran at the Schenectady County Jail.

"I felt that was a terminable offense," Buffardi said speaking of her
arrest. "Corrections officers are obligated to enforce the law, not
break it."

In December Buffardi spoke similar words when he fired correction
officer Timothy Taber after he was arrested in Glenville and charged
with cocaine possession.

Within a week after Taber's arrest, Buffardi fired five other
officers for allegedly using cocaine during off-duty hours at
parties. The six officers collectively had more than 65 years
experience at the county jail. Buffardi said he never caught the
officers using drugs nor required them to take a drug test. He was
informed of their drug use through other people. The five officers
are now in process of challenging Buffardi's decision to fire them
through the use of a Public Employment Relations Board arbitrator.

Under the terms of the union contract that Buffardi negotiated as
undersheriff in 1992, he is obligated to honor the arbitrator's
decision.

The five officers are: Bryan Smith, Joseph Capra, Kandi Ashburn, Lt.
Donald Crandall and his wife, officer Deborah Crandall. They were
fired for allegedly using cocaine during off-duty hours at parties.

Ashburn has a 10 a.m. arbitration hearing on April 19 at the County
Office Building.