LIBERTY — Friends and family gathered at the Village Hall in Liberty on Thursday last week to welcome the newest member of the Village of Liberty Police Department. Officer Anthony Ventura’s appointment fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Detective Mark Hess.

Ventura began his career in law enforcement by studying Criminal Justice at Ulster County Community College and earning an associate’s degree. Officer Ventura then successfully completed his police academy training at the Ulster County Law Enforcement training center in 2010.

After becoming a certified police officer, Officer Ventura began working for the Village of Ellenville Police Department, The Town of Marlborough Police Department and then the Town of Lloyd Police Department for approximately 10 years. During his time at the Town of Lloyd Police Department, Officer Ventura has held the positions of Police Officer, Detective, Sergeant, and Field Training Officer.

“Officer Ventura brings with him a wealth of training and experience to our department,” said Liberty Police Chief Steven D’Agata. “In the short time that he has been patrolling our Village so far he has proven himself to be an intelligent, resourceful and skilled police officer. In summation I believe that Officer Ventura will be a great addition to our department and will meet and exceed all of my expectations of professionalism in law enforcement.”