New York State dominated the recent NSA photo contest, with Jefferson County declared the Overall Winner and Niagara County winning in the K-9 category.

The Overall Winner was a photo taken by Jefferson County’s Kim Schuldt: “County Fair Patrol.” The photo depicts Deputy Jamie Taylor walking hand-in-hand with his daughter Callie at the 2015 Jefferson County Fair. Callie paid a quick visit to her dad during his tour of duty at the fair.

The K-9 Category Winner was a photo submitted by Niagara County: “Paying Respects to a Fallen Partner.” The photo depicts Niagara County Sheriff’s Deputy Craig Beiter with his partner, Canine Taz, at the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Memorial. Deputy Beiter and Canine Taz are shown paying their respects to Deputy Beiter’s previous partner, Canine Rocky, whose end of watch was December 4, 2011 after falling from a rooftop while searching for burglary suspects in the City of Niagara Falls.

Photo entries were judged based on creativity, quality, and originality. Five finalists in each category, selected by NSA staff, were displayed on the NSA website and at the NSA Annual Conference in June for members to vote on. All winners will appear in the November/December issue of Sheriff & Deputy magazine. Nice showing by New York State!