In Special Service – Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione (pictured above at right) and DJ Daniel at the NSA Summer Conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

The Ontario County Sheriff’s Office noted a recent event at the National Sheriff's Association Summer Conference where Sheriff Dave Cirencione met DJ Daniel, a youth who has been battling brain and spine cancer since 2018, when doctors diagnosed he had five months to live. Daniel was recognized by President Trump during last January's State of the Union address.

Per the Sheriff's Office Facebook page: “DJ, . . . has now been sworn in as a Special Deputy by 1,402 Sheriff’s Offices across the country — including ours. His bravery, unwavering positivity, and dedication to law enforcement have inspired officers nationwide.

“Sheriff Cirencione was honored to be one of 200 Sheriffs who took part in DJ’s special swearing-in ceremony in person. He also had the privilege of spending one-on-one time with Deputy Daniel — an unforgettable experience. Deputy DJ is a shining example of strength, resilience, and hope. His courage continues to uplift and unite law enforcement professionals across the nation.”

Law Enforcement United – Actor Eric Estrada (above center), best known for his starring role in the police television drama CHiPs, made a personal appearance at the NSA Summer Conference and was joined (left to right) by Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo, Mr. Estrada, Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy and Chautauqua County Sheriff / NYSSA President James Quattrone.

It’s not all play and no work while at the Conference.

Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood (pictured at left) led a meeting as Chair of the NSA’s School Safety and Security Committee, which also includes Steuben County Sheriff James Allard (below) as a member.

Several Sheriffs continue sharing their time and leadership talent on a number of NSA Committees, including Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa as Vice Chair of the Drug Enforcement Committee and Chautauqua County Sheriff / NYSSA President James Quattrone (pictured at left) as Vice Chair of both the Jail, Detection and Corrections and the Traffic Safety Committees.

Question: What do You Call a Group of Sheriffs? — New York State Sheriffs gather for dinner during the NSA Meeting. Front row, from left to right, Steuben County Sheriff James Allard, Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy, Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo. Back row (l - r), Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, Wayne County Sheriff Robert Milby, Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione, Chautauqua County Sheriff / NYSSA President James Quattrone, Retired Putnam County Sheriff Don Smith and Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa. Also attending the Conference but not pictured were Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple, Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta and Cattaraugus County Sheriff Eric Butler.

Answer: A Posse. While the term "posse" can refer to a group of people called upon to help maintain law and order, in the context of Sheriffs it specifically denotes a group of sheriffs or sheriff's deputies acting together . . . but you already know that.

Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville (pictured) recently announced he will not seek reelection this fall for a second term.

His announcement prompted U.S. Representative Mike Lawler to acknowledge Sheriff McConville’s dedication to law enforcement from the floor of the House: “Honored to recognize Sheriff Kevin McConville, a lifelong Putnam County resident and dedicated public servant. Kevin served over 30 years with the MTA Police, rising to become its first internally appointed Chief, and created a counterterrorism task force, partnered with the FBI, and launched a 50-member K9 unit. He helped lead the MTA’s response to 9/11 and shaped long-term security efforts. On behalf of NY-17, thank you, buddy!”

View the reel of Representative Lawler's tribute here.

The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office has decided to disable public comments on its Facebook page.

“From this point moving forward, there are no comments on our posts,” Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol (pictured) said recently.

Sheriff Maciol said the decision to disable the comment section was made after Facebook posts about various cases received hundreds of comments, most of which were unproductive.

“Those comments would quickly go negative, threatening,” Maciol said, “sometimes inciting people to retaliate against the person who was charged.”

To avoid any kind of infringement on people’s freedom of speech, the Office chose to disable comments for everyone.

Picking or choosing which comments are allowed for posting is a violation of Constitutional Free Speech. So Sheriff Maciol decided to eliminate public comments altogether, avoiding any complaints that could be lodged under First Amendment rights.

Although comments have been disabled, Sheriff Maciol says there are still plenty of ways to contact the Sheriff’s Office, including Facebook Messenger, email, the Sheriff’s App and Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers.

The Wheel Deal  – Members of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Bike Patrol show off their stuff. From left to right, Deputy Scott Leggett, Lt. Peter Grezkow, Deputy Rodney Waithe, Deputy Kolby Clegg and Deputy Brian McSween.

Sheriff Donald J. Krapf is proud to announce the formation of the new Columbia County Sheriff’s Bicycle Education Enforcement Unit (B.E.E.), a dual-purpose initiative to enhance public safety and foster positive youth engagement throughout the County.

This unit brings specially trained deputies to the County’s extensive trail networks, marking the first time any law enforcement agency has actively patrolled these paths. In addition to deterring crime and offering consistent patrols in areas previously difficult to access by vehicles, the Bicycle Patrol Unit will host ongoing bicycle safety programs for youth, including Bike Rodeos and a structured bicycle safety course.

“Our B.E.E. Unit reflects our commitment to proactive, community-based policing,” said Sheriff Krapf. “It also allows us to be more visible in the community, especially in areas that haven’t had regular patrol coverage before. It will also help young people build skills that keep them safe and confident on the road.”

From the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page: “A shout out to Sheriff Milby, who recently celebrated his 30th year with the WCSO!”

Congratulations, Sheriff!

Sheriffs took to the road at parades in their Counties on the Fourth of July. Below are a few scenes with Sheriffs celebrating their communities on foot (and horseback):

Precious Cargo – Chautauqua County Sheriff / NYSSA President James Quattrone walked a parade route in Mayville with two of his grandsons. “One grandson was helping me post-parade to get ideas for next year’s parade,” said the Sheriff.

The Rocket’s Red Glare – Explosive fireworks illuminate a symbol of freedom from fear for Dutchess County residents.

A High Five for the Fourth – Monroe County Undersheriff Korey Brown greets a parade viewer while on the march.

Walking a Different Beat – Oneida County Undersheriff Joseph Lisi (left) and Sheriff Rob Maciol keep up the pace during the Fourth of July Parade in Utica.

Sitting Pretty – Sullivan County Sheriff Michael Schiff arrives in style for the parade in Liberty, a village aptly named to commemorate the day’s activities.

NYSSA Summer Training Conference | July 14 – 17

The 2025 Summer Conference is at the Fort William Henry Hotel, in Lake George, NY, hosted by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. Programs address current issues impacting Law Enforcement, Corrections, Court Security, and Civil Matters with emphasis on analysis of new laws passed in the previous legislative session. Sheriffs also meet informally with one another and the presenters in attendance to discuss individual county issues.

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. Click on the link above to register.

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.

Scenes from the Undersheriffs Training Conference

The Undersheriffs Training Conference was held in Saratoga Springs last month, with more than 30 Undersheriffs attending and a dozen vendors in the Exhibit Hall to support their work. Topics included legal, legislative and corrections updates for law enforcement personnel, a review of FOIL issues and GML 207-c (Employee Actions), as well as other presenters noted below:

Keith Pearson (pictured) is Senior Advisor in the Office of Homeland Security and spoke with Undersheriffs on Current Issues on Immigration Law in New York State.

Rockland County Undersheriff Robert Van Cura (left) chats with Suffolk County Undersheriff Steven Kuehhas during a program break.

Dr. Matthew Miraglia (pictured) spoke on Domestic Threat Assessments. He is President of CLPS, which provides hazard and threat management emergency communication systems.

Delaware County Undersheriff Kim Smith (above left) and Hamilton County Undersheriff Ronald Johnston find time to talk over issues impacting their work.

Below, Rensselaer County Undersheriif Michael Dinardo (below left) gets the latest product information from a vendor during a visit to the Exhibit Hall.

Dr. Kim Butler (above), Director of Health and Wellness at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, updates Undersheriffs on Hyperagitated (Excited) Delirum and other wellness issues.

Janna Shillinglaw (pictured) from the Municipal Division of the New York State Department of Civil Service, gave a presentation on Civil Service Issues for Sheriffs’ Offices.

The end-of-conference raffle made several attendees happy, including Chenango County Undersheriff Dustin Smietana (pictured, right), posing with former Herkimer County Sheriff Chris Farber who also won a raffle prize.

Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo (pictured) was on hand to greet attendees. This will be the Sheriff’s final stint as de facto host for NYSSA conferences held in the County; he is stepping down from the Office of the Sheriff at the end of this year.

Of Dogs and Men

With the end of another school year, School Resource Officers / School Resource Deputies celebrated with their students in various ways.

Here is a very brief video clip showing Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Young delivering a goal-worthy soccer kick to a large velcro dartboard. Well done, Deputy Matt.

And let’s not forget the good work K-9s and their handlers do, with a brief hide-and-seek demo from the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office.