With harsh winter making itself known in the Great Northeast, Sheriffs continued their work of safeguarding the public while at the same time advocating for support of their efforts from state and federal lawmakers. This includes paying visits to their legislative representatives at offices in Albany and Washington, D.C. to make their concerns known. Following are a few scenes from Sheriffs’ visits to Albany and to the nation’s capital - the latter in conjunction with the National Sheriffs’ Association Annual Winter Conference, which takes place in D.C.

Feature photos provided by James Bowers.

On It in Albany! — Above, from left to right, Chautauqua County Sheriff and NYSSA President James Quattrone, Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville, New York State Senator Peter Harckham and Wayne County Sheriff Rob Milby met to discuss issues related to the Office of Sheriff. The Sheriffs also met with Senator Pamela Helming.

With assistance from NYSSA, Sheriffs are making regular visits to the State Capitol in Albany to voice their concerns and push for legislation that will aid Sheriff's Offices in protecting the public.

In Conference — Above, from left to right, U.S. Representative Patrick Ryan, Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta, Chautauqua County Sheriff and NYSSA President James Quattrone, Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault and Steuben County Sheriff James Allard take part in a round of visits on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Meeting in Progress — Above, from left to right, NYSSA Executive Director Peter Kehoe, Sheriff Allard, Sheriff Quattrone, Sheriff Arteta and Sheriff Bourgault (far right) join forces with U.S. Representative Mike Lawlor (second from right).

Next Stop — The same contingent met with U.S. Representative Nick Langworthy at his office.

From the House to the Senate — The NYSSA delegation also had the opportunity to meet with U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (above center) and with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (below center). Sheriffs, thank you for taking the time from your work to meet with your legislators to advance the Office of the Sheriff.

The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) holds its Annual Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C., providing the opportunity for New York Sheriffs to learn the latest in law enforcement protocols and technology. Some Sheriffs also hold leadership roles within the NSA.

New York State was well represented at the meeting by the following attendees:

• Steuben County Sheriff James Allard       

• Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta            

• St. Lawrence County Sheriff Rick Engle 

• Cortland County Sheriff Mark Helms         

• Wayne County Sheriff Ron Milby             

• Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple

• Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault

• Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa

• Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood

• Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone

Also attending were Undersheriffs James Mullen (Ulster) and Shawn McCargar (St. Lawrence).

In leadership roles, Sheriff Quattrone serves as Vice Chair of both the Traffic Safety and the Jail, Detention and Corrections Committees. Sheriff Figueroa is Vice Chair of the Drug Enforcement Committee, and Sheriff Hood continues his role as Chair of the School Safety and Security Committee. Great work, Sheriffs!

Feature photos provided by the National Sheriffs' Association.

Well Represented — St. Lawrence County Sheriff Rick Engle (at right in photo) and Undersheriff Shawn McCargar took the time out of their busy schedules back home to attend the NSA Winter Meeting.

Meeting Notes — Steuben County Sheriff James Allard (left) and Chautauqua County Sheriff and NYSSA President James Quattrone confer while at a session.

Making a Point — Cortland County Sheriff Mark Helms (at right in photo) listens while Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault addresses the audience during a program.

And Making it Clearly — Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa (pictured) provides remarks at a meeting.

Enhancing Enforcement — Cattaraugus County Sheriff Eric Butler (above right) and J.C. Seneca, President of the Seneca Nation of Indians, announced the deputizing of a new road patrol canine. Lex, a dual-purpose patrol dog, is trained and certified in narcotics detection, tracking, article searches and suspect apprehension.

Last December, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the Seneca Nation to support the new K-9 unit to patrol the community. Lex is named after former Senior Emergency Services Dispatcher Timothy Lexer, who passed away last July. Sheriff Butler expressed his thanks to the Seneca Nation of Indians for their generous donation to help fund the new K-9 team, and to an anonymous donor who provided a housing enclosure for Lex.

Recent federal notices to increase deportations of undocumented people has put a spotlight on the policies in Sheriff’s Offices.

Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley (pictured) stated he would not detain undocumented people without a signed warrant from a federal judge, noting he is only following state law, which mandates that Sheriffs cannot hold undocumented people in jail based purely on a civil detainer request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"If we do things that are against the law, we will be sued," Sheriff Shelley said.

Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood and Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck both echoed Sheriff Shelley's response. The President of the New York State Sheriff's Association, Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone, said all Sheriffs in the state need to follow the same rules.

"If they are administrative warrants, by case law, we are unable to act on them. We will notify ICE when someone is being released from our custody, but we can't continue to hold them," observed Sheriff Quattrone (pictured). “. . . we’re obligated to follow the law, and we are going to continue to follow the law as is dictated by not only state law but court decisions."

Sheriffs Hood, Schenck and Shelley all stated they would work with ICE if presented with a federal warrant. Sheriff Hood said it is paramount he and his colleagues follow the letter of the law.

Sheriff Hood is interested in establishing a 287(g) agreement with ICE. In 2020, the Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office entered into a 287(g) jail enforcement model agreement – the least intensive of the three models under this agreement. More recently, the Nassau County Police Department agreed to establish a task force model, the most expansive type of agreement. It is the second law enforcement agency in the state to establish a 287(g) agreement.

"You're going to see people on board with that moving forward and across New York State," notes Sheriff Hood (pictured).

Sheriff Schenck (pictured) said he is also exploring what this agreement would entail, but raised concerns about it distracting from the Office's mission of enforcing local laws.

Know This – A number of Sheriffs convened in Saratoga Springs at the New York State Intelligence Summit to learn about best practices for gathering and analyzing data that help their operations. (L – R), Seneca County Sheriff Tim Thompson, Orange County Undersheriff Wilfredo Garcia, Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting, Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, Herkimer County Sheriff Scott Scherer, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta, Schuyler County Sheriff Kevin Rumsey and Schoharie County Sheriff Ron Stevens.

All Smiles — Lewis County Sheriff Michael Carpinelli (above, right) another summit attendee, shares a laugh with Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa.

Greene County Undersheriff Michael Overbaugh

From the Greene County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page:

“It is with great heartache and sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our beloved Undersheriff, Michael Overbaugh. Undersheriff Overbaugh passed away unexpectedly at his residence the morning of Wednesday, February 12, 2025. Not only was he a valuable asset to our office, but he was also a U.S. Navy Veteran, a retired Lieutenant with the New York State Department of Corrections, an active Town of Hunter Police Officer and the current Fire Chief of the Kiskatom Fire Department. Mike dedicated his life to public service and will be sorely missed.”

Undersheriff Overbaugh was honored with a service at the FASNY Fireman’s Home in Hudson.

C-PASS Conference Recap

Feature photos provided by Jessica Vecchione.

NYSSA’s Committee on Policing and Safeguarding Schools held its Annual Meeting last month in Saratoga Springs.

A packed conference room (below) gave evidence of the importance of this event and the topics covered in both general and numerous breakout sessions.

Among the attendees was School Resource Officer Eric McCoy (pictured) from the Steuben County Sheriff's Office. "I'm very thankful to be in the school and be able to help."

Instructors and specialists from a variety of fields provided in-depth presentations, including Michael Bennett (pictured), Superintendent for the Greenville Central School District, who discussed the 2004 Columbia High School shooting in East Greenbush, NY . . .

. . . Vernon House (standing above right) Platoon Commander, School Safety Training Unit NYPD Police Academy, who addressed bullying in schools . . .

. . . and Dominick Frisina, Training and Professional Learning Manager, who spoke about the Positivity Project.

Other sessions featured “Protecting Our Children Online,” “Harm Prevention and Threat Management Model,” “Using Data to Create Safer Schools” and “From Exhausted to Empowered – Prioritizing Your Self-care.”

C-PASS also has a new website. Check it out and share with your School Resource Officers the resources and training materials provided online by C-PASS.

Ulster County Subzero Heroes

Cold Enough for You? — In the left photo, Sheriff Figueroa leaps into the water with arms raised high. In the right photo, he’s shaking off that refreshingly icy feeling after emerging from the plunge.

From the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page:

“Members of our office joined many others at the 15th Annual Subzero Heroes event held at Berean Lake in Highland. Sheriff Juan Figueroa, Undersheriff James Mullen and Lieutenant Collin Reynolds took the leap into the frigid waters in support of the fight against Alzheimer's.

“Many thanks to our In-Water Rescue team, comprised of members from our agency, the Town of New Paltz Police Department and the Town of Rosendale Police Department, for cutting the hole in the ice and keeping everyone safe during the event. It was a great event as always and we look forward to next year!”