Suffolk County Sheriff's Office

For the Suffolk County, Massachusetts law enforcement agency, see Suffolk County Sheriff's Department.
Suffolk County Sheriff's Office
Abbreviation SCSO

Patch of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office

Seal of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office

Badge of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office
Agency overview
Formed 1683
Employees 1255
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction* County (US) of Suffolk in the state of New York, United States
Map of Suffolk County Sheriff's Office's jurisdiction.
Size 911 square miles (2,360 km2)
Population 1.5 Million +
Legal jurisdiction Suffolk County, NY
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters Riverside, New York
Deputy Sheriffs Correction Officers 270
841
Civilians 130
Agency executives
Facilities
Jails 3
Patrol Boats 4
Canines 4
Website
Official website
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.
The Official Patch of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office Emergency Management Section.

The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office is the oldest law enforcement agency in Suffolk County, New York, having been established in 1683. The Sheriff's Office currently employs over 1200 people, including 898 correction officers, 254 deputy sheriffs, and 130 civilian personnel.[1] Its Office and Business Operations are located at the Riverhead Correctional Facility, 100 Center Drive South in Riverhead (although it bears the Riverhead name, it is actually south of the Peconic River in Riverside in the Town of Southampton).

The Sheriff of Suffolk County is the highest ranking Law Enforcement Officer in Suffolk County and is elected to the term of four years.[2] In 2012, the Sheriff's Office became a New York State Accredited Law Enforcement Agency.[3]

History

On Long Island, from 1664 to 1683 ridings were used to establish boundaries within the shire. The East riding comprised the territory now occupied by Suffolk County. The West riding consisted of Kings County and Newtown (Queens County). The remainder of Long Island belonged to the North riding. Collectively, the three ridings were called Yorkshire.

The colonial governor of New York appointed a "High Sheriff" for Yorkshire with a Deputy from each riding. In 1683, the ridings were abolished and the East riding became Suffolk County. The High Sheriff was no longer necessary being that each County would now have its own Sheriff. Suffolk County’s first Sheriff was Josiah Hobart in 1683.

After the American Revolution, the practice of the Governor appointing a sheriff continued and was incorporated into the first New York Constitution, adopted in 1777. At the 1821 constitutional convention, the office of sheriff became an elective office. That year, Abraham Gardiner became Suffolk County's first elected sheriff.

Duties

The Sheriff's Office:

The Sheriff's Office participates in various task forces, such as the East End Drug Task Force, and the specially created joint task force with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to investigate and arrest gang members, the Drug Enforcement Administration, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the United States Marshals Service, undercover assignments, and also conduct criminal investigations.

Rank structure

The SCSO formerly had an Undersheriff for Corrections and an Undersheriff for Law Enforcement. Sheriff DeMarco changed that practice by appointing an Undersheriff as his number two man in the department and a second Undersheriff subordinate to the first. There is also one Warden.

Title Insignia
Sheriff Vincent F. DeMarco
Undersheriff Steven Kuehhas
Undersheriff Joseph T. Caracappa
Chief Deputy Sheriff/Chief of Staff/Warden
Warden
Deputy Warden
Captain/Investigator Captain
Lieutenant/Investigator Lieutenant
Sergeant/Investigator Sergeant Deputy
Corrections
Deputy Sheriff/Correction Officer

Deputy Sheriff Investigator/Correction Officer Investigator

List of Sheriffs

There have been many Sheriffs through 332 years of service.[2]

Sheriff Start of term Sheriff Start of term Sheriff Start of term
Josiah Hobart 1683 Abraham Gardiner 1821 Henry Preston 1903
John Mulford 1701 Samuel Smith 1826 John Wells 1906
Hugh Gray 1702 Abraham Gardiner 1829 Charles Platt 1909
John Brush 1710 Richard Smith 1832 Melville Brush 1912
Daniel Youngs 1718 Silas Horton 1835 D. Henry Brown 1913
Samuel Dayton 1723 Samuel Miller 1838 Charles O'Dell 1914
William Sell 1728 David Brush 1841 Amza Biggs 1917
Joseph Smith 1730 Henry Penny 1844 John Kelly 1920
David Corrie 1731 David Rose 1847 Amza Biggs 1923
Jacob Conklin 1734 John Clark 1850 Burton Howe 1926
Thomas Higbe 1740 Samuel Phillips 1855 Ellis Taylor 1929
James Muirson 1774 George Carman 1856 Joseph Warta 1932
Thomas Wickes 1785 Stephen Wilson 1859 William McCollom 1935
Silas Halsey 1787 Daniel Osborn 1862 Jacob Dreyer 1938
Thomas Wickes 1791 George Smith 1868 John Levy 1941
Phinaes Carll 1799 J. Henry Perkins 1871 William McCollom 1942
Josiah Reeve 1803 Egbert Lewis 1874 Charles Dominy 1957
Phinaes Smith 1807 George Cooper 1877 Frank Gross 1962
Josiah Reeve 1808 Robert Petty 1888 Philip Corso 1970
Benjamin Brewster 1810 Selah Brewster 1883 Donald Dilworth 1976
Josiah Reeve 1811 Henry Halsey 1886 John Finnerty 1977
Benjamin Brewster 1812 Robert Petty 1888 Eugene Dooley 1986
Josiah Reeve 1813 A. M. Darling 1891 Patrick Mahoney 1990
Nathaniel Conklin 1814 Benjamin Wood 1897 Alfred C. Tisch 2002
Josiah Reeve 1815 J. Sheridan Wells 1900 Vincent F. DeMarco 2006
Samuel Carll 1819

Line of duty deaths

Since the establishment of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, four officers have died in the line of duty.[4]

Officer Date of Death Details
Deputy Sheriff William Henry Rafford
Wednesday, December 16, 1903
 Gunfire
Deputy Sheriff George A. Stillwell
Friday, August 10, 1906
 Gunfire
Deputy Sheriff Harold E. Vanderoef Jr.
Thursday, June 4, 1987
 Struck by vehicle
Correction Officer Andrew Paul Reister
Saturday, August 9, 2008
 Assault

SCSO awards, commendations, citations and medals

The Sheriff's Office presents a number of medals to its members for meritorious service.

A gold medal and a blue and gold bar (inscription "HONOR"). The Sheriff’s Office Medal of Honor may be awarded to any Sworn Officer of the Sheriff’s Office who, while being fully aware of an imminent risk of life, intelligently distinguishes himself/herself in an act of gallantry above and beyond the call of duty.

A gold medal and a blue-red-blue bar (inscription "COMBAT"). The Combat Gold Medal may be awarded for the successful performance of an act of extraordinary heroism while engaged in personal combat with an armed adversry, at imminent personal hazard of live, in the intelligent performance of duty.

A gold medal and a red-blue-red bar (inscription "BRAVERY"). The Bravery Gold Medal may be awarded for an act of outstanding personal bravery intlligently performed, involving personal risk of life, or involvining grave personal danger.

A silver medal and a blue-white-blue bar (inscription "COMBAT"). The Combat Silver Medal may be awarded for the successful performance of an act of heroism while engaged in personal combat with an armed adversry, at imminent personal hazard of live, in the intelligent performance of duty.

A silver medal and a white-blue-white bar (inscription "BRAVERY"). The Bravery Silver Medal may be awarded for an act of personal bravery intlligently performed, involving personal risk of life, or involvining grave personal danger.

A solid purple bar. The Purple Heart may be awarded to any Sworn Officer of the Sheriff’s Office who is seriously wounded as a result of the hostile actions of another occurring under honorable conditions, or posthumously, to a Sworn Member of the Sheriff's Office who is killed in the performance of duty under honorable conditions as the result of the hostile actions of another.

A white-blue-white-red-white-blue-white breast bar. May be awarded for an act of personal bravery, intelligently performed, involving grave personal danger.

A bronze plaque with a blue-white-blue bar. The Meritorious Service Award may be awarded to any Sworn Officer of the Sheriff’s Office who, while in the line of duty and exhibiting professionalism to the highest degree, distinguishes himself/herself in overcoming a seemingly insurmountable task, problem, situation or period of time through the use of constant faithfulness, perseverance and an overall dedication to duty.

A red-white-red bar. The Exceptional Service Award may be awarded to any member of the Sheriff’s Office who, while in the line of duty and exhibiting professionalism to the highest degree, distinguishes himself/herself to such an extent that this action goes beyond those which are normally expected of a Sheriff’s Office member.

A white-blue-white-blue-white breast bar. Awarded to a Sworn Officer who submits a device or method adopted by the Office, which significantly increases efficiency in administrative or tactical procedures.

A blue and gray breast bar (inscription "5", "10", "20", or "50" in silver within the blue and "STOP D.W.I." in blue within the gray). Awarded to a Deputy Sheriff who has affected five or more, as indicated by the numeral, arrests for DWI.

A Letter of Commendation may be awarded to members of the Sheriff’s Office who conduct themselves in a professional manner while performing their duties and by their deeds give other members an ideal or example to follow. In addition, the member's conduct went beyond the set standard and demonstrated a truly special strength or action evidencing courage, resourcefulness and/or a particular dedication to duty.

A Letter of Recognition may be awarded to members of the Sheriff’s Office who conduct themselves in a professional manner while performing their duties and by their deeds give other members an ideal or example to follow.

A laminated letter plaque. The Civilian Commendation may be awarded to a civilian who has rendered assistance to a member of the Sheriff’s Office during an emergency or who has rendered outstanding assistance to the Sheriff’s Office as a whole.

A Certificate of Appreciation. The Civilian Award may be awarded to any individual or organization who, by act or deed, has contributed to a better Sheriff’s Office-community relationship.

A gold plaque. The Unit Award may be awarded to any unit, section, bureau or command in the Sheriff’s Office which demonstrates unit integrity and outstanding performance over a period of time or for a specific assignment, and while in the performance of its duties, went beyond the set standard and demonstrated a truly special strength or action evidencing courage, resourcefulness and/or a particular dedication to duty.

A red, white, blue and gold (American Flag) breast bar (inscription "09-11-01" in gold). Awarded to each Sworn Officer of the Sheriff's Office who was assigned to the World Trade Center "Ground Zero"site in New York City.

A blue breast bar (inscription "TWA 800"). Awarded to each Sworn Officer of the Sheriff's Officer who was assigned to the TWA crash site in July 1996.

A white over blue breast bar. Awarded to a Sworn Officer who has received a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college, or a Sworn Officer who has been awarded an associate degree from an accredited university or college.

A green breast bar with a gold medical insignia. Awarded to a Sworn Officer who has been ceritified as an Emergency Medical Technician or as a Paramedic by the New York State Department of Health.

A black breast bar with "Firearms Instructor" in gold. Awarded to a Sworn Officer who has been certified as an Firearms Instructor by the Office of Public Safety of the State of New York.

A white-red-white-red-white breast bar. Awarded to a Sworn Officer who has been certified as an Instructor by the Office of Public Safety of the State of New York.

A blue-yellow-blue-yellow-blue-yellow-blue breast bar. Awarded to a Sworn Officer who is an active certified participant in the Field Training Officer Program.

A black breast bar with "Tactical Unit" in gold. Awarded to a Sworn Officer who has been certified as a Tactical Rifle and Concealment Sniper by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is an active member of the T.R.A.C. Unit.

A black breast bar with "S.E.R.T." in gold. Awarded to a Correction Officer who has successfully completed the course of instruction approved by the Sheriff's Office and is an active Sworn Officer of the Sheriff's Office S.E.R.T. Unit.

A gold-red-gold breast bar (inscription "5", "10", "15", '20", "25", "30", or "35" in gold). Awarded to a Sworn Officer who has completed the appropriate number of years of service.

A blue breast bar with 12 gold stars. Awarded to a Sworn Officer who is a military veteran.

Air Force - A light blue breast bar (United States Air Force insignia in silver). Awarded to a Sworn Officer who is a veteran of the United States Air Force.

Army - A black breast bar (United States Army insignia in gold). Awarded to a Sworn Officer who is a veteran of the United States Army.

Coast Guard - A blue breast bar (United States Coast Guard insignia in gold). Awarded to a Sworn Officer who is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard.

Marine Corps - A red breast bar (United States Marine Corp insignia in gold). Awarded to a Sworn Officer who is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

Navy - A blue breast bar (United States Navy insignia in gold). Awarded to a Sworn Officer who is a veteran of the United States Navy.

A gold breast bar (inscription "PISTOL SHARPSHOOTER", "PISTOL EXPERT" OR "DISTINGUISHED PISTOL EXPERT"). Awarded to a Sworn Officer for attaining a level of proficiency with the service firearm.

See also

Coordinates: 40°54′49″N 72°40′04″W / 40.913517°N 72.667914°W / 40.913517; -72.667914

References

  1. ↑ Suffolk County Sheriff's Office page Archived May 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. 1 2 Suffolk County Sheriff's Office History page Archived May 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ "New York State List of Accredited Law Enforcement Agencies".
  4. ↑ The Officer Down Memorial Page
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