Retired Trumansburg Police Chief Tom Ferretti’s passing leaves behind a mark and a legacy which helped to shape the Trumansburg we know today. For the better part of four decades, Tom’s name was nearly synonymous with Trumansburg itself. He took on the role of the Village's first police chief in the 1970s and in the years that followed he created a department which became an integral part of the community. Tom believed in community-focused policing before anyone knew how important that approach was.
Tom served as Chief of Police under at least eight mayors and worked with many dozens of Village Trustees. But Tom was also deeply rooted in the fabric of the community outside of the department. He ran a local business. He drove school bus. He knew nearly every resident and every Main Street shop and restaurant owner. Tom, as much as any person in my lifetime, helped to mold the character of the community into the one we know and love.
On behalf of a grateful Village, I extend my condolences to the extended Ferretti family. In every measurable way, Tom Ferretti left the Village in better shape than when he came to it. And this, perhaps, is the greatest legacy anyone can have.