Sheriff’s Institute starts drive

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. >> Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo is encouraging residents to support the New York State Sheriffs’ Institute, which began its honorary membership drive in the county this week.

The Sheriffs’ Institute was established in 1979 to advance criminal justice education, prevent juvenile delinquency and support victims of crime and their families. The programs include:

• Sheriffs’ Summer Camp: Around 900 children from across New York state attend the sheriffs’ camp for economically challenged children, which is located on Keuka Lake. The institute pays all costs for the campers, including transportation, a week of camp, meals and traditional camp activities like sailing, archery and crafts.

• Criminal Justice Scholarship Program: The program provides one scholarship to the criminal justice program at each of the state’s community college. This program aims to attract qualified students who want a career in criminal justice.

• Victim notification programs: The Sheriffs’ Victims Hotline provides automated notification to registered victims when an inmate is released. The program allows individuals who have been granted family court orders of protection to receive alerts when those orders are served.

“The Sheriffs’ Institute is our partner in providing programs that help the people in our communities,” Zurlo said in a news release, “but we really rely on the support of our honorary members for the summer camp.” For more information about the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp and other institute programs, log on to www.sheriffsinstitute.org.