MONROE COUNTY, N.Y. – Christopher Cole, who was caught in a large manhunt in the Town of Sweden, has been released, leaving Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter frustrated.
“Get him this help if that’s what he needs, but to release him back to the streets, that’s absurd. We are not doing anyone any favors. That’s frustrating,” said Baxter.
The manhunt involved drones, K-9 units, state police helicopters, and dozens of deputies. Cole had shoplifted from a business in Brockport, leading to the extensive search.
Sheriff Baxter said Cole is from Brighton and is a familiar name to his deputies. “He’s got 16 misdemeanor convictions for larceny type jobs, he’s got two outstanding felonies, one for robbery in the town of Chili,” Baxter said.
Cole’s shoplifting spree included incidents at Brockport Walmart and a theft attempt at Lowe’s before the manhunt began. Baxter emphasized the financial impact on taxpayers, estimating a cost of $12,500 due to repeat offenders like Cole.
“It’s taking that public safety from the other people that deserve to have police officers in their neighborhood,” said Baxter.
Baxter wants the Protect Act bill passed to address gaps in bail reform, aiming to give judges more power to detain potentially dangerous offenders awaiting trial.
“There needs to be a clearly defined repeat offender. When a judge looks at someone they need to clearly define this is a repeat offender based on statute,” said Baxter.
Addressing concerns about racial profiling, Baxter said, “We should be very cautious of that — we should be very aware of that. We can do that with systems with auditing; what we are trying to do is clearly define peoples activity, not their race, not their gender.”
Baxter expressed concern about public safety, saying, “We are not protecting the public, absolutely. This guy right here is going to make a mistake. He is going to get in a vehicle and flee from us one day and kill someone.”
The New York State Department of Corrections found that approximately 81% of prisoners released in 2024 were not arrested within three years. However, an American Bail Coalition report found that 66% of violent felons released under New York bail reform law re-offend within two years.
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