U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy commended Sheriff James Quattrone and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office for using the Unsolved Crimes Unit to address the issue of unsolved cases. Pictured, from left, are Tom Tarpley and Langworthy. P-J photo by Timothy Frudd

MAYVILLE — U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy is working with Sheriff James Quattrone to secure federal resources for the county’s Unsolved Crimes Unit.

During his tour of the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office and county jail Tuesday, Langworthy met with investigators Tom Tarpley and Tom Di Zinno with the Unsolved Crimes Unit. Langworthy told The Post-Journal he was “thrilled” to see that the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office is investigating “cold cases” and “murder cases” with the recent creation of the Unsolved Crimes Unit. He acknowledged Quattrone’s request for federal funding and said his office is going to see how they can help Quattrone secure the federal funding he has requested.

“We have far too many murders that have been committed in this community,” Langworthy said. “Growing up here, the names I saw on that board in that office are too familiar and too burned in memory from living here and following the news when those murders took place. Those families deserve justice, even if it’s many, many years later. I mean, their pain hasn’t been alleviated, so I really salute the sheriff for putting this task force together within your department when resources are tough.”

Langworthy said that despite the difficult task of devoting limited resources and manpower to investigative units like the Unsolved Crimes Unit, Quattrone and his staff have been able to “tackle” an issue that has “existed for far too long” in Chautauqua County. Langworthy commended Quattrone and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office for taking the issue of unsolved crimes and murders “head on” and addressing what he described as a “black eye” on the local community.

“We’re going to see how we can effectively partner with his office to find some resources,” he said.

In February, a community fundraiser organized by Merry Williams-Diers provided an additional $1,350 for the Unsolved Crimes Unit.

In addition to requesting federal funding for the Unsolved Crimes Unit, Quattrone also requested that Langworthy “pull some strings” to provide a 20-year retirement for dispatchers and corrections officers with the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.

“The job that they do is no less important than the job of the patrol officers that are out there,” he said. “They struggle a lot of times with the stress that they have to encounter.”