The canton’s police chief is preparing to retire

CANTON, New York (WWNY) – Challenging but rewarding. That’s how the canton police chief describes his 26-year career as he prepares to retire.

Speaking to a reporter Monday, James Santimaw recalled his time in the department and a career he always dreamed of.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I finally had the chance. It was just great to be able to put on the service belt and go out and try to help people,” Santimaw said.

After eight years as chief and completing a nearly 30-year tenure, Santimaw says one of the big challenges during his career was the most recent, the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Figuring out how best to respond to calls and do it in a safe way, trying to work with Canton Rescue and getting supplies has always been a challenge, gloves and masks have always been a challenge,” he said .

Santimaw was at the forefront when police reform became a reality. He believes body cameras have proven to be a huge benefit to the community and the department.

“It protects us just as much as it protects everyone else, and we have found that to be the case in a small number of cases. There have been people who have called or will contact us because they had concerns, who thought the officers did xy or z, it wasn’t a problem – we review the footage and never hear from them again,” he explained .

Canton Mayor Michael Dalton praises the boss for his handling of police reform.

“It was a difficult time in the department, a lot of effort was put into the police reform process. He was at the forefront and did a good job as a leader. I think being an accredited police department made a difference when it came to police reform,” Dalton said.

Santimaw values ​​the relationships and connections he has made in the community during his career with the Canton Village Troop.

“There were a lot of people I was in touch with. There were a lot of people who meant a lot to me,” he says.

With the village hiring a new chief in November, Santimaw will remain in office until January of next year. Then he plans to spend more time with his family.

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