A new program at the Broome County Sheriff’s Office aims to create a safer environment for interactions between law enforcement and individuals and families with autism.

The Sheriff’s Office announced its “Blue Envelope Program.” It is the first Sheriff’s Office in New York State to launch this initiative aimed at easing communication and preventing misunderstandings between individuals with autism and law enforcement during traffic stops or an emergency.

“We work every day to create a safer, more inclusive community for all our residents of Broome County,” said Sheriff Fred Akshar. “No matter where you are in our community, you deserve to feel safe, and today’s partnership is an important step toward helping drivers and passengers with autism have positive interactions with police on the road.”

When someone with autism is pulled over, a car sticker in a kit provided by the Sheriff’s Office indicates the driver or the passenger has autism and might need additional assistance or understanding for a successful interaction. The driver can provide the officer with the blue envelope containing his or her driver’s license, vehicle registration, vehicle insurance, and an emergency contact card inside.

The Blue Envelope Program shares many similarities with NYSSA’s Yellow Dot Program, designed to help first responders provide life-saving medical attention immediately after a crash or other emergency.

“The Broome County Sheriff’s Office is charged with the safety and security of our citizens of every ability,” said Sheriff Akshar. “Any tool that can help us better communicate and interact with the people we serve can help make all the difference, turning a potentially difficult situation into one of trust, understanding and above all safety.”

Oswego County Sheriff's Deputy Cailee Campbell (pictured) was remembered by hundreds of people at her funeral in Fulton, NY earlier this month.

Deputy Campbell was killed late last month while en route to a crash scene. Another car collided with her cruiser. She died a short time later.

“She was just a fantastic young lady,” said Oswego County Sheriff Don Hilton. “Always [had] a smile on her face. She loved the job, and she was excelling at it. It was the job she worked hard to have. It's a great loss.”

Campbell began her career in law enforcement as a Corrections Officer with the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office; she joined the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office in early 2023 as a Deputy Sheriff.

Of those who attended the service, three were at the Oswego County Regional Police Academy with Campbell. Their group took on the nickname of “The Fantastic Four” and provided the following reflection:



“We stand here in unison representing three-fourths of the ‘Fantastic Four,’ and our hearts are heavy, because today we mourn the loss of the person who made us whole.”

In Honor – Members of the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, other Sheriff’s Offices and Law Enforcement personnel throughout Central New York gather outside Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse to pay their respects to Deputy Campbell. 

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer has announced the appointment of Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa (pictured) to the State and Local Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Review Board. The Board was established in 2008 and is composed of nine members, including one member jointly appointed by leadership of the U.S. Senate for which the Ulster County Sheriff was selected.

“Sheriff Juan Figueroa has been at the forefront of bolstering safety and community policing in Ulster County, and I am thrilled to appoint him to the Congressional Badge of Bravery Review Board,” said Senator Schumer. “Sheriff Figueroa’s breadth of experience in various positions across law enforcement agencies makes him uniquely qualified for this role. I’m thankful for his years of dedication to keeping the Hudson Valley safe and know that his experiences will serve him well as the newest member of the State and Local Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Review Board.”

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Nine Sheriff's Offices joined numerous other municipal law enforcement agencies at the 2024 Excelsior Challenge sponsored by the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Services.

The event hosted the largest contingent of law enforcement specialties to date and focused on training to respond to current and emerging threats. The four-day exercise included training hosted by law enforcement agencies at all levels of government.

This year’s Challenge was dedicated to Lieutenant Michael Hoosock of the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office. Lieutenant Hoosock served as Commander of the Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad and was both an instructor and an active participant in the Excelsior Challenge for many years, along with his teammates from the Bomb Squad. Lieutenant Hoosock was killed in the line of duty in April.

Members from the following Sheriff’s Offices participated in the Challenge:

• Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office

• Erie County Sheriff’s Office

• Monroe County Sheriff’s Office

• Niagara County Sheriff’s Office

• Oneida County Sheriff’s Office

• Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office

• Orange County Sheriff’s Office

• Otsego County Sheriff Office

• Steuben County Sheriff’s Office

Photos by Christopher Gould and courtesy of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

Table Service — David Sutton (above left) of the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office and Linnea Shumway, Food Service Director at the Steuben County Jail, deliver vegetables to Steuben County food pantries.

For one Steuben County garden this summer, a record harvest will benefit many County residents.

The Steuben County Jail Garden recently delivered nearly 1,000 pounds of surplus vegetables to the Corning Community Food Pantry and Corning Meals on Wheels. 

Steuben County Sheriff James Allard said it is the most vegetables the garden has ever produced. 

“This year it’s grown to the extent that we got over 2,000 pounds of vegetables produced in the garden,” noted Sheriff Allard. “It’s been a perfect summer for a garden.”

The Steuben County Jail uses the garden as an educational exercise to train incarcerated individuals on how to become self-sufficient. While half of the fresh vegetables grown supplement the meals for inmates, the other half has been given to area food pantries. 

“We were able to give back to the community,” said Sheriff Allard. “To those that are not food sufficient.”

The New York State Sheriffs’ Association hosted two successful professional development programs last month, as well as its First Annual Golf Tournament. Following are some scenes from these events.

Held at the Normanside Country Club in Delmar, NY, sixty golfers braved a beautiful day to support NYSSA’s Inaugural Tournament. The event featured a scramble, along with closest-to-the-pin and longest-drive competitions. Five Sheriffs took part, some with their Undersheriffs:

• Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple

• Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting (below left) and Undersheriff Dustin Smietana

• Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky

• Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta and Undersheriff Evelyn Mallard

• Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault (below left) and Undersheriff Michael Dinardo

Winning Undersheriffs — Orange County Undersheriff Evelyn Mallard (above) and Rensselaer County Undersheriff Michael Dinardo (below) were two of the lucky ticket holders who won raffle prizes at the post-tournament lunch.

The annual Law Enforcement Supervisors Conference drew nearly 50 attendees from Sheriff’s Offices statewide, focusing on timely topics.

FBI Special Agent and Senior Investigator Charles Keller (above) provides an update on U.S. Violent Extremists Mobilization Indicators.

Thomas Brophy (above left) was one of a quartet of presenters on ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Rising Migration: Trends, Challenges and Implications. Mr. Brophy is the Buffalo Director of ERO for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He was joined by Deputy Field Office Director Joseph Freden, Assistant Field Office Director Dennis Rau and Community Relations Officer Terry Dunford.

Attendees (above) gave their undivided attention to presenters, including remarks made by NYSSA President and Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond (at right).

The final information-packed session featured Mike Ranalli of Lexipol (above), who detailed a Year in Law Enforcement Case Studies.

A new member of the NYSSA team, former Saratoga County Undersheriff Richard Castle (pictured) attended the Conference and explained his new role as a liaison for the Association with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Nearly 150 registrants attended the annual Jail Administrators Conference, held in Albany this year. Topics included the Broome County Sheriff’s Office Life Skills program, presented by Undersheriff Sam Davis; Wellness Programs for Corrections from the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office; Medicaid Waiver and New York Services for Youthful Inmates from the New York State Department of Health and more as shown below:

Carrie Hill (above), Executive Director of the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association, paid neighboring New York State a visit and provided a legal case review that included MAT updates and general discussion of jail issues.

Many of the topics launched questions and comments from participants, including representatives from Westchester County (above left) and Franklin County (above right).

Break time means vendor time, where attendees scoped out more than 30 booths with products and services.

Back in the conference room, the three members of the New York State Commission of Correction and nine supporting staff give participants a rundown on the work they are doing with Jail staff throughout the State.

Commission Chairman and former Madison County Sheriff Allen Riley (at left) catches up with Rockland County Sheriff Lou Falco.

From the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), Associate Commissioner Rabiah Gaynor (above left) and Director of OASAS Criminal Justice Division Ellen Tryon (above right) discuss Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) in Carceral Settings: Better for Employees.

Attorney Elaine Gold (pictured) presents the always-popular Labor Law Review.

Several Sheriffs dropped in to assist with the presentation of certificates to attendees. From left to right, former Herkimer County Sheriff Chris Farber, Rockland County Sheriff Lou Falco, Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo, Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple and NYSSA President and Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond.

Civilly Noted — At the recognition ceremony are (left to right) NYSSA Executive Director Peter Kehoe, Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting, Sheriff's Chief Civil Clerk Craig Alllison and Undersheriff Dustin Smietana.

The Civil Division of the Chenango County Sheriff's Office was reaccredited for another five years by the New York State Sheriffs' Association and noted with a recognition ceremony at the Chenango County Board of Supervisors meeting earlier this month.

"This goes all the way back to 1999, when we were across the street in the old facility and the former Sheriff decided we would work toward accreditation," said Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting.

"We not only worked the Law Enforcement accreditation, but also the Jail, Civil and Communications accreditations for the Sheriff's Office, and I'm happy to say we've been accredited in law enforcement since 1999, in Communications and Civil since 2008 and the Jail accreditation since 2007."

Don’t Toss the Boss — Earlier this year, Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple (pictured) attended the National Sheriffs’ Association Annual Meeting where he was presented with the NSA’s Sheriff of the Year Award.

During a break, Sheriff Apple felt bullish enough to ride the mechanical creature . . . looks like held fast and had a good time!

Photo courtesy of the National Sheriffs’ Association.

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