Lakewood-Busti PD hires officer; K-9 officer receives certification
From left, Trustees John Shedd, Ellen Barnes, Mayor Randy Holcomb, and Trustees Benjamin Troche and Scott Cooper conduct village business at 20 W. Summit Ave. on Monday night. P-J photo by Christopher Blakeslee.
Matthew Canby was hired as a patrol officer Monday for the Lakewood-Busti Police Department on Monday. P-J photo by Christopher Blakeslee
From left, Trustees John Shedd, Ellen Barnes, Mayor Randy Holcomb, and Trustees Benjamin Troche and Scott Cooper conduct village business at 20 W. Summit Ave. on Monday night. P-J photo by Christopher Blakeslee.
Matthew Canby was hired as a patrol officer Monday for the Lakewood-Busti Police Department on Monday. P-J photo by Christopher Blakeslee
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LAKEWOOD – One patrolman is being promoted in the Lakewood-Busti Police Department while another is being hired.
Chief Matthew Bentley presented two resolutions for the Lakewood Village Board of Trustees to consider at Monday evening’s meeting, held at 20 W. Summit Ave. The board unanimously approved the first resolution regarding the police department, which permanently promoted and appointed Patrolman Matthew Lundsten from patrolman to the rank of police sergeant.
“Sgt. Lundsten is a consistently professional officer who achieved an excellent score on the promotion exam,” noted Chief Bentley.
The board also unanimously approved a second resolution to hire Officer Matthew Canby as a part-time patrol officer.
"Officer Canby is a local resident who performed exceptionally well in his interview. He is also a recent graduate of the Jamestown Community College Sheriff's Academy," he said. "We plan to utilize him for up to 24 hours a week, and I have no doubt that he will integrate seamlessly and make a positive impact within our department."
Canby is equally excited to join the police department. The new officer was at Monday's Village Board meeting and said he looks forward to getting started.
"I’m from the area – I've always wanted to serve and give back to our communities," Canby said. "I want to make an impact (positive) right away."
Bentley said the police department has responded to 1,045 calls for service (year-to-date) and recently supported a “Trunk-or-Treat” event at Aspire of Western New York, 140 Mall Blvd., with more than 1,200 children attending.
"Thank you, Chief, for the outstanding work you and your department are doing," said Lakewood Trustee John Shedd. "I really like these community events."
Bentley reported that K-9 Officer Jacob Swan and his four-legged partner Kor are officially certified as an Explosive Detection Canine Team.
"They still have more training to go to next year, but this is a great start for the team," said Bentley.
Kor is a 4-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer highly skilled at locating explosives, firearms, and ammunition. In other business:
– The Village clerk, deputy clerk, deputy treasurer, code enforcement officer, mayor, members of the Board of Trustees, Zoning /Planning Board, and other officials are set to attend the Southern Tier West 2026 Fall Planning and Zoning training to be held at Salamanca BOCES Center, 4039 US-219, Salamanca, Nov. 4 from 4 – 8 p.m. and/or at the Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union, Nov. 5 from 4 – 8:15 p.m. at a cost of $25 a person.
– As previously reported in a Sept. 30 edition of The Post-Journal, Lakewood residents will receive a tax credit after the village’s tax levy exceeded the state tax cap for the fiscal year.
Trustee Elen Barnes highlighted the importance of transparency for both the mayor and the Board of Trustees. She described transparency as a defining characteristic of this administration and of the utmost importance.
"New York State limits tax levy growth for municipalities to up to 2 %. In order for a municipality to exceed the established limit, it must pass a local law before adopting the budget. The Village of Lakewood did not adopt an override law for the 2026-2027 fiscal year budget. After reviewing our 2026-2027 budget and tax levy, we determined that the Village's property tax levy exceeded the allowable limits under NYS Property Tax Law.
State law provides a straightforward remedy. The Village must place the excess levy amount in a dedicated reserve fund and use it to reduce the following year's tax levy. The excess amount has been calculated to be $284,983. Tonight, this board took action to establish the required reserve and ensure full compliance with General Municipal Law Section 3-c.
This is a routine compliance step under New York state law. It does not affect current village services, public safety operations, infrastructure projects, or day-to-day operations. It is a statutory compliance measure that allows the excess levy amount to be returned to taxpayers through a reduction in the 2027-2028 budget tax levy.
"Transparency is important to this board. We believe it is appropriate to acknowledge the oversight, explain the corrective action being taken, and ensure that the residents understand that the matter is being addressed exactly as NYS law requires," read Barnes.