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The Peace Officer Training Academy mourns the passing of alumni Chief Ernest J. LaPlante of the Buffalo Special Police on June 15th, 2009. Ernie, of Angola, a longtime member and head of the Buffalo Special Police volunteer patrol force and a Vietnam veteran, died Monday in Buffalo General Hospital. He was 62.
 
Ernie was born in Troy and attended local schools. A Marine, he served two tours of duty in Vietnam and moved to the Buffalo area in the late 1960s after returning from the war. He worked for many years as film room supervisor at Roswell Park Cancer Institute before retiring about five years ago. He also worked security jobs on the side.
 
Chief LaPlante joined the Buffalo Special Police 39 years ago and had served since 2002 as its chief. The group was long dormant before he and others pushed in recent years for the Special Police to patrol certain city neighborhoods for quality-of-life violations. Chief LaPlante viewed his involvement in the Special Police as a way of giving back to the community, and he was a strong believer in the value of volunteer organizations, said his wife, the former Donna Engler. He also was a member of the Niagara County Auxiliary Police and the Judges and Police Conference of Erie County. “That was his life. He was very passionate about it,” she said.
 
In addition to his wife, survivors include a son, David; a daughter, Mary Elizabeth; four sisters, Sandra King, Betty Ann Keitel, Aloma Cooper and Veronica; and a brother, Robert. His funeral will be at 11 a. m. Saturday in St. John Lutheran Church, 67 Litchfield Ave., Depew.

The Peace Officer Training Academy was established to provide specialized training for Law Enforcement Officers who require peace officer certification in their unique positions, including such examples as Police Constables, Corrections Officers, Animal Control Officers, Bailiffs, Court Officers, and Reserve Officers. Such officers are required to meet minimum training standards set forth by the New York Municipal Police Training Council.

The Academy provides courses that always meet and often exceed those minimums, as outlined in the Criminal Procedure Law. In addition, we also offer a variety of specialized courses for police officers, military personnel, security officers, and retired law enforcement officers.

The Peace Officer Training Academy has partnered with Hilbert College to offer college credits for successful completion of Academy courses. We are the only academy in New York State to partner with an educational institution to give you college credits for Security Guard training.