Robert J. Beston, a lifelong Watervliet resident and retired 23-year veteran of the Watervliet Police Department, was elected in 2007 for the third time to represent the 16th Legislative District in the County Legislature. He first was appointed on June 11, 2001 to fill a vacancy and won the election the following November to serve the remaining two years in the term.

The 16th Legislative District consists of part of the City of Watervliet, including such landmarks as Watervliet High School, Clinton Park and the Watervliet Arsenal, and an area in the Town of Colonie bounded by Route 2, Delatour Road and Watervliet Shaker Road.

Bob is Deputy Chair of the Legislature's Court Facilities Committee and a member of the Public Safety and Law Committees. He has been instrumental in passage of resolutions to finance the enhancement of services to the senior population, expand public access to computer and Internet services through a library technology grant program, support improvements to the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Trail and restore funds to continue the Project STRIVE program providing preventive services to at-risk families and children in Watervliet and northeastern Albany County.

He has been employed full-time since 1998 by Siena College in the Plant Operations Division of plumbing and heating. Previously, he owned and operated Densmore's, a grocery/delicatessen on Cohoes Road in Watervliet for 12 years and established a catering service and video store.

Bob was a policeman for the Watervliet Police Department from 1963 through 1986, assigned to traffic and accident investigations and, early in his law enforcement career, to a pre-DARE program educating youngsters about the hazards of drug use. During this period, he also owned and operated part-time an auto body shop for 18 years.

Bob and his wife, Sandra, are the parents of three children: Tina, a kindergarten teacher in the Watervliet school district; Lori, a Watervliet High School guidance counselor, and Robert Jr., a college student and graduate of the Watervliet school system.