Last month Edwin Raymond (pictured) was appointed to serve as Sheriff of the City of New York by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The Sheriff serves as an Officer of the Court and is responsible for overseeing legal processes and mandates related to judiciary law, civil practice law, real property actions, tax enforcement, mental hygiene warrants, seizures pursuant to warrants and court orders, and enforcement related to unlicensed cannabis.

Sheriff Raymond brings decades of public service and law enforcement experience to the role. He joined the New York City Police Department at age 22 and served as a police officer in several posts before being promoted to Sergeant and Lieutenant. He later served as a platoon commander and as Commanding Officer of Brooklyn North Community Affairs.

Before his appointment as Sheriff, Raymond served in the Office of the New York State Attorney General as the nation’s first social justice liaison. In that role, he supported efforts to advance accountability and integrity in law enforcement. His work has earned several honors, including the NAACP’s Courage Under Fire Award.

The son of Haitian immigrants, Sheriff Raymond grew up in East Flatbush and has spent his career focused on public safety, accountability, and service to New Yorkers. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Seneca County Sheriff Timothy Thompson, Jr. (pictured) retired earlier this month, ending more than two decades of service with the Sheriff’s Office. He will continue his work as a sworn law-enforcement officer with the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority Police Department, noting the move was one of the most difficult of his career.

“After a great deal of thought and consideration, I have made the very difficult decision to retire from the Seneca County Office of Sheriff,” he noted in a letter addressed to County residents. He said the move came down to securing “a better financial future” for his family.

Sheriff Thompson served Seneca County for 27 years in multiple public safety roles and is noted for several accomplishments during his tenure as Sheriff, including agency reaccreditation efforts, labor agreements with both unions, and creation of the Blue Line Wellness program focused on supporting officers’ mental health.

“It has truly been the privilege of a lifetime,” Thompson wrote in closing.

Seneca County Undersheriff Melinda Marquart will serve as Acting Sheriff for the Office.

Twice the Flight — Earlier this month, Congressional Representative Nick Langworthy (pictured fourth from right) joined Sheriff Garcia (center), Undersheriff William Cooley and members of the Erie County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit to announce that $4.2 million in federal funds have been approved toward the purchase and upfitting of two brand new state-of-the-art H-125 Airbus helicopters.

According to a statement from the Sheriff’s Office, “This investment will allow for a continuity of service in Erie County's skies, ensuring that when one aircraft is down for service, the other can remain operational.”

Mission equipment will be installed on both aircraft and ready to enter service in early 2027.

With Summer Comes Boat Safety — Lending their support at last month’s NYSSA-sponsored Boating Safety Press Conference were (from left) Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky, Ulster County Sheriff and NYSSA President Juan Figueroa, Columbia County Sheriff Jacqueline Salvatore, Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault and Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple. They spoke about the importance of training now required by New York State for all boaters, the need to use regulation flotation devices and laws prohibiting operating a boat under the influence. Numerous other Sheriff’s Offices throughout the state held their own programs promoting messages of safety and common-sense boating on their local waterways. Photo contributed by Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office.

First in the Nation — Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. (pictured) recently announced “Project Safe and Sound,” the first gun violence prevention course ever offered inside a U.S. jail or prison.

Launching this fall at the Yaphank Correctional Facility, the seven-module pilot program will cover public health approaches to gun violence, resilience, career development, and community healing. “Because real prevention starts with education,” as noted on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

The program is a partnership of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and Northwell Health, a non-profit integrated healthcare network based on Long Island.

The Voices That Matter — Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta (far left) joins leaders of Youth Advocate Programs (YAP) and Building Bridges Initiative at the 2026 Youth Justice Conference in Albany last month.


Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta, with Deputy Anthony Galeno and Investigator Brian Shanely, lent their support enabling youth participation during a panel presentation at the Division of Criminal Justice Services 2026 Youth Justice Conference in Albany last month.

In a press release, Sheriff Arteta noted that the panel, Bridging the Divide: Practical Strategies to Strengthen Youth and Law Enforcement Trust, “reflected the heart of our work. The focus of our panel was four young men from the City of Newburgh, who embraced the opportunity to speak and have their voices heard. They emphasized that young people must be included in conversations shaping their lives and communities and addressed the needs of young people today."

Sheriff Arteta added, "We are committed to investing in our young people and creating opportunities that help them thrive. We will continue to create and participate in programs and provide resources to strengthen local efforts to guide youth toward productive and successful futures. I am proud of these four young men for their courage and engaging in these powerful discussions to ensure their future is bright!"

Keuka College announced a new partnership with the New York State Sheriffs’ Institute that brings first responders and law enforcement officials to its campus for specialized residence training.

The institute’s first resilience training program, Helping Every Responder Overcome — or HERO — is aimed at arming personnel with tools to help reduce the number of suicides among its ranks and deal with occupational stress to maintain long-term well-being.

Steuben County Sheriff Jim Allard (pictured), who chairs the New York State Sheriffs’ Institute Board, said the training addresses a pressing issue facing first responders.

“The whole idea is to get information out to first responders that will help them be more resilient and hopefully decrease the number of suicides among folks who leave the job due to stress and unresolved issues, and to give them coping mechanisms to help them lead healthier lives,” Sheriff Allard said.

Training includes three distinct parts. The first is geared toward suicide prevention; the second covers the science of addiction; and the last is three days of instruction through the FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA) Comprehensive Officer Resilience Train-the-Trainer Program.

“We’ll be bringing in first responders from across the state,” Allard said, “and training them how to go back to their agencies and share lessons from the FBI program.”

The College plans to hold educational programs at the Institute’s summer camp on Keuka Lake. It will also serve as a collaborative partner for data collection and research, particularly to measure the effectiveness of institute training initiatives.

“We’ve always had a good relationship with Keuka College,” said Allard. “Yates County Sheriff Frank Ryan is an adjunct professor for the College, and we see a lot of opportunities to work together. We think it will be a very good fit.”

Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol (pictured) stood alongside lawmakers and law enforcement at the Oneida County Sheriff's Office this month, calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to sign legislation that would protect victims of domestic violence.

The legislation would require law enforcement to conduct a lethality assessment as part of their standardized domestic incident report form when responding to reports of domestic violence.

Sheriff Maciol, who was appointed to the New York State Domestic Violence Review Team as a local law enforcement representative, said his office is already doing everything it can to protect survivors of domestic violence and hold abusers accountable. The Sheriff said several municipalities across New York State already conduct their own lethality assessment, but it should be standardized.

"Domestic violence remains one of the most dangerous and unpredictable categories of incidents that law enforcement responds to," said Sheriff Maciol. "The encounters that follow a domestic violence call are often those that turn deadly for the victims, the family members of law enforcement themselves. This is a critical bill that needs the Governor's signature immediately."

A Focus on Safety and Security — The New York State Sheriff's Association and CLPS (Critical Leadership Preparedness Solutions) have partnered to sponsor a series of training sessions throughout the state focusing on safety and security software available from CLPS that can help manage threat assessments through use of the HPTM (harm prevention threat management) model currently used in 16 states.

The session shown above took place in Albany last month, where Ulster County Sheriff and NYSSA President Juan Figueroa (pictured at podium) spoke about the need for tools that address threat issues and enable enhanced security and preparedness in critical situations.

Undersheriffs from 30 Counties attended the annual Undersheriff Training Conference in Saratoga Springs last month. Topics presented included Deputy Sheriff and Correction Officer Recruitment, Overview of the NYS Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team, New Physical Ability Test for Police Officer Candidates and Leveraging the Criminal Justice Knowledge Bank. Undersheriffs also took the opportunity to visit with vendors throughout the Conference.

Calling All Candidates —  Maria Kenneally (pictured) from the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services outlines recruitment strategies to Conference attendees.

Familiar Faces — Former Stueben County Undersheriff John McNelis (left) and former Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo meet up at the Conference. Undersheriff McNelis is now Senior Director of Risk Management at CLPS and Sheriff Zurlo is a representative for FaceTec, Inc.

All Smiles — Rockland County Undersheriff Mary Barbera chats with Mr. Chris Lian of Black Creek Integrated Systems Group during a visit with vendors.

Conference Confab — Delaware County Undersheriff Kim Smith (left) and Chenango County Undersheriff Dustin Smietana catch up during a pause between sessions.

Overly Important — Rebecca Poleto (pictured), Assistant Director of the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Bureau for the NYS Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team, provides an Overview of the Team’s work.

With Appreciation — Pictured above from left are Columbia County Sheriff Jacqueline Salvatore, Civil Clerk Michele Donnelly, NYSSA Executive Director Peter Kehoe, Undersheriff Ian Boehme and Ulster County Sheriff / NYSSA President Juan Figueroa.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office Civil Division was formally recognized recently by the New York State Sheriffs' Association for successfully achieving reaccreditation, reaffirming its commitment to professional excellence and the highest standards of public service.

Civil Clerk Michele Donnelly was recognized for her exceptional efforts in coordinating and assisting the Columbia County Sheriff's Office through the reaccreditation process.

New York State Sheriffs' Association President and Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa emphasized the vital role Civil Divisions play within Sheriff's Offices across the state.

"The truth is, it is one of the most important departments that works for the Sheriff," Figueroa said. "The Civil Division handles everything from income executions to evictions. Achieving accreditation is extremely important—not only for liability and insurance purposes—but because it demonstrates to your community that your Sheriff's Office meets the highest professional standards in providing these essential services."

Sheriff Jacqueline Salvatore said the reaccreditation reflects the professionalism and dedication of the Civil Division and the entire Sheriff's Office.

"This reaccreditation is a testament to the hard work, professionalism, and commitment of our Civil Division," she said. "I am especially proud of Civil Clerk Michele Donnelly for her leadership throughout the accreditation process, as well as Sergeant Ian Boehme, our Deputy Sheriffs, and every member of our office who contributed to this achievement."

NYSSA Sheriff's Summer Training Conference | July 20 – 23

The Sheriffs’ Summer Training will take place at the Woodcliff Hotel & Spa, Fairport, NY, from July 20 to July 23, 2026. Programs address current issues impacting law enforcement, corrections, court security, and civil matters, with an emphasis on analysis of new laws passed in the previous legislative session. Sheriffs also meet informally with one another and with speakers in attendance to discuss individual County issues. About 30 businesses from around the country participate in a trade show at the Conference each summer. Click the link above to register.

Westchester LE Colors in Synch with That Championship Season

Below is a recent post from the Westchester County Police Department Facebook page. The Westchester County Police is one of two law enforcement agencies housed under the County's Office of Public Safety, both of which are supervised by Westchester County Sheriff and Commissioner Terrance Raynor:

“We wear the WCPD blue and orange with pride every day, but they were especially the right colors for the day!

“Our Airport Precinct officers and Airport Operations staff were on hand to welcome the NBA champion New York Knicks back home at Westchester County Airport. Congrats to the Knicks for a thrilling playoff run and for bringing the title home to New York!”

Owl About That?

The St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office welcomed one of the smallest visitors yet after a concerned citizen brought this young owl to the Sheriff's Office for assistance earlier this month. Deputy Breanne Sapp (pictured) was happy to provide temporary "protective custody" until the owlet could be safely transferred to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for proper care. Photo contributed by the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.

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