CHENANGO COUNTY — “Being in law enforcement is in my family,” said Chenango County Sheriff’s Deputy Chad O’Hara. “I knew I always wanted to do it.”

O’Hara has spent nearly five years with the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office and was awarded “Deputy of the Year” in 2012.

I was provided the opportunity to spend a shift with O’Hara on Saturday.

Arriving as instructed at 3:47 p.m., I was prepared to observe O’Hara’s law enforcement duties for his entire shift.

He first gave me a tour of the patrol area within the facility, and I met his Sergeant and a couple of his co-workers. O’Hara then grabbed the necessary items he needed for at least eight hours on the roads and we entered his vehicle.

O’Hara has a K-9, currently on sabbatical, so the dog was not with us Saturday. I had also previously informed the Road Patrol Lieutenant Richard Cobb that I was scared of dogs.

Upon entering the SUV, I realized that I would not enjoy to be in the backseat as an arrested individual. The dog’s area is directly behind the passenger seat, and an arrested person would sit behind the deputy. There is a blockage of sorts between the deputy and the person taken into custody, and between the person in the backseat and the K9.