Putnam County Sheriff Kevin J. McConville (pictured), 68 years old and a lifelong resident of the County, passed away peacefully last month.

He was a dedicated law-enforcement officer and public servant, having worked for more than 30 years with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, where he became the first member from within the Agency to be appointed Chief of Police in 2005.

He began his term as Putnam County Sheriff in January 2022, helping the Sheriff’s Office update its radio communication system, obtain new vehicles and earn accreditation from the NYS Law Enforcement Agency Accreditation Council. He worked with schools in the community to keep students and faculty safe.

“Sheriff McConville devoted his life to serving others with integrity, courage and compassion,” said Acting Sheriff Brian Hess (see following story). “Our hearts are heavy as we stand with the McConville family, but we will honor his legacy with pride and continue the mission that we have to serve and protect Putnam County.”

Click here to view a complete obituary of Sheriff McConville.

Changing of the Guard — Retiring Putnam County Undersheriff Thomas Lindert (left) passes his badge to his successor, Undersheriff - and now Acting Sheriff - Brian Hess.

With the retirement of Putnam County Undersheriff Thomas Lindert last month, then-Sheriff Kevin McConville appointed Brian Hess as the County’s new Undersheriff.

Less than two weeks later, Hess assumed the role of Acting Sheriff upon the death of Sheriff McConville.

“I look forward to working with my fellow law enforcement professionals in keeping Putnam County safe,” said Acting Sheriff Hess.

Hess is a veteran law enforcement leader with more than 25 years of experience. He recently served as the Commanding Officer and founder of the Westchester-Putnam Real Time Crime Center. The Center connects more than 65 agencies across the tri-state and New England region, enabling real-time intelligence-sharing among more than 5,500 members of law enforcement.

Moving On, Moving Up — From left, Genesee County Sheriff Joseph Graff is shown with retiring Undersheriff Brad Mazur and incoming Undersheriff Ryan DeLong.

Genesee County Sheriff Joseph Graff recently announced the appointment of Ryan DeLong as Genesee County Undersheriff. DeLong replaces Undersheriff Brad Mazur, who is retiring after more than 26 years with the Sheriff’s Office, having served the last seven years as Undersheriff.

“I’ve held a lot of different positions (at the Sheriff’s Office),” explained Mazur. “I think they always say that there’s a shelf life for law enforcement and speaking to other people in the past that have retired, you just know when that time is. And that time for me is now.”

Undersheriff Mazur, who rose in the ranks as Deputy, Investigator and Sergeant, commended the three “great leaders” he has worked for – Sheriff Gary Maha who hired him, Sheriff William Sheron who appointed him to the Undersheriff role and Sheriff Graff.

Sheriff Graff gave a glowing assessment of DeLong, who joined the Sheriff’s Office in July 2015 after a five-year stint as a contract detention officer at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia.

“Investigator DeLong is an exceptional Deputy (and) he’s been an exceptional Investigator,” Sheriff Graff said. “He has been one of the Sheriff’s Office employees who always goes over and beyond anything that he’s asked to do. He certainly has proven himself to be a valuable asset here at the Sheriff’s Office.”

Standing Strong in Hope — Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon, Jr. (left) congratulates Wyatt Houppert on becoming Sheriff for the Day.



A Long Island boy battling complete kidney failure became Suffolk County's top cop recently as the Honorary Suffolk County Sheriff for the day. It's only the second time in the last eight years that the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department has done so. It comes with certain perks, like trying out any vehicle in the fleet, and "arresting" a local news reporter.



The challenges faced by the family of Wyatt Houppert has generated an outpouring of support throughout the community, including the Sheriff’s Office.

"There is an additional support system that he knows that is available to him and his family," Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. said.

A Reason to Celebrate — From left, Cattaraugus County Sheriff Eric Butler, Deputy Rachel Zimmer and Mr. Stanley Cizdziel, with Deputy Andrew Schumaker at far right.


In July, Stanley Cizdziel was cutting trees and encountered a beehive, where he was stung nearly 20 times. Cizdziel suddenly passed out due to anaphylactic reaction. Cattaraugus County Deputies Andrew Schumaker and Rachel Zimmer arrived quickly to administer an epinephrine pen, commonly known as an EpiPen, to Cizdziel, saving his life.

Every year, Deputies are called to respond to allergic reactions in the community. This prompted Cattaraugus County Sheriff Eric Butler to initiate the new EpiPen program last spring. Mr. Cizdziel was the first person to have an EpiPen administered to them by the Sheriff's Office.

“Our Deputies are always on the road patrolling rural areas of the County,” said Sheriff Butler. “Deputies often arrive on scene to medical emergencies before EMS is available. Providing our personnel with the training and resources to save lives in the community is our priority. We're not just here to enforce the law, we are here to protect the safety and welfare of all residents of the County.”

Always on Call — Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Alonzo Montanya poses with the newest addition to the Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Cruz A. Long.



Dutchess County Sheriff Kirk Imperati announced the newest addition to the Sheriff’s Office staff at the Dutchess County Fair, Deputy Cruz A. Long, which was ready to meet and interact with fairgoers who visited the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office display.

Long, a child-sized police vehicle, was made possible through a grant from the National Child Safety Council and is specially designed to interact with young children, according to Sergeant Alonzo Montanya, who was helping the young Deputy prepare for thousands of visitors.

“The Dutchess County Fair is an extremely important event for the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office to display all the good work we do for the nearly 300,000 residents of Dutchess County,” Sheriff Imperati said. “Our display at the fair is interactive, so the residents of our County have a better understanding of how we protect them each and every day.” 

Imperati noted that the 2025 attractions at the Sheriff's Office display highlight the technological advancements that have been added since the agency was formed more than 300 years ago. “We are proud of the advancements we have made that keep us at the forefront of public safety,” noted the Sheriff.

Genesee County Deputy Sergeant Thomas Sanfratello (pictured left) was honored with the first annual ride to remember some of the events the Sergeant spent his life supporting.

According to organizers, the Memorial Ride (shown above) supporting all first responders included 83 motorcycles and 14 cars along with representatives from the Le Roy and Corfu Police Departments, New York State Police, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and other first-responder agencies. Participants also brought in a small, unwrapped toy or a financial donation to support the Shop with a Cop program.

Funds also went to a scholarship in Sergeant Sanfratello’s name, to be awarded to a high school senior planning to enter the field of law enforcement. Hot Wheels cars, which the Sergeant liked, were also collected. He died at the age of 54 in the line of duty during an incident at Batavia Downs last year.

Law Enforcement Supervisors Conference | September 10 – 12

This year’s continuing education training program for Law Enforcement Supervisors will be held at the at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Saratoga Springs. Topics covered include program updates, the Neuroscience of High-Stakes Decision Making in Law Enforcement and Local Cannabis Regulation: Early Lessons. Click on the link above to register.

Sheriffs' Week | September 14 – 20, 2025

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has proclaimed September 14 - 20, 2025, as Sheriff's Week in the State of New York, dedicated to recognizing the continuous role of the Office of Sheriff in New York's justice system. Many Sheriff's Office across the state sponsor programs and events during the week. Take part and take credit for the good work done to protect your communities.

Jail Administrators Conference | September 15 – 18

The Conference returns to the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs and is open to Jail Administrators who manage our County jails, which range in inmate capacity form 50 to over 2,000. This Conference is attended by well over 100 Jail Administrators and 30 exhibitors.

National Night Out Events Showcase the Good Sheriffs Do

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign promoting law-enforcement / community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. Typically held on the first Tuesday in August, a number of Sheriff’s Offices took part in local events as shown below:

Ready to Roll — The Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office

A Different Type of Grilling —

Columbia County Undersheriff Jacqueline Salvatore works the grill.

Pony Up — A youngster makes a closer inspection of the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol.

There for the Community —Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter (far right) with colleagues (from left) Lieutenant Christopher Beh, Captain Matthew Kreuzer and Deputy Nicole Priolo.

A Different Type of Rumble Seat — Youngsters try out the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office ATVs.