Law enforcement personnel and family members are mourning the loss of Rich Telford, Chautauqua County’s undersheriff.
Telford was placed into the position in 2021. He was a 1988 Jamestown High School graduate who studied criminal justice at Jamestown Community College and briefly worked part-time for the Ellicott Police Department before being hired full-time in April 1991 with the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.
“It is with heavy hearts that The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office announces the passing of Undersheriff Richard Telford,” the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post early Tuesday morning. “Undersheriff Telford passed with his family by his side.”
Telford lived in Sinclairville with his wife, Amanda. They have three children, Katelynn, Andrew and Alex.
The Jamestown native worked for the Sheriff’s Office for 33 years, starting as a deputy before being promoted to sergeant to oversee the county’s 911 center. Telford eventually became a lieutenant with the Sheriff’s Office and later supervisor for court security. He also got involved with the department’s fire investigation team, a crew composed of the Sheriff’s Office and fire service that responds to a variety of fires in the county to help determine a cause. In January 2020, Telford attended the FBI National Academy, a 10-week program for U.S. and international law enforcement managers that provides coursework in intelligence theory, terrorism and terrorist mindsets, management science, law, behavioral science, law enforcement communication, and forensic science. Telford, Sheriff James Quattrone and Capt. David Bentley have graduated from the academy.
When Quattrone became sheriff in 2019, Telford was appointed captain at the department. Quattrone approached Telford when Undersheriff Darryl Braley announced he was retiring in September 2021.
“For those who knew the Undersheriff they already can tell us about his great qualities,” the Sheriff’s Office Facebook post stated. “For those who never had the privilege and honor to know him, I’d like to share just some of his qualities that made him a great law enforcement officer, supervisor, great friend (to so many) but even more importantly a great father, husband, brother and son. Rich was a man of integrity, he could always be counted on to do the right thing. He displayed a courage that was second to none, which he demonstrated this past year in his courageous battle and not to mention throughout his over 30 years of service to this county. His character was evident as he was always there displaying the great values we count on. Respect – not only did Rich demonstrate unconditional respect in all his dealings about the respect that so many people had for him was so evident.”