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Suffolk County Sheriff's Office

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Abbreviation
  
SCSO

Employees
  
1255

Formed
  
1683

Suffolk County Sheriff's Office

Legal personality
  
Governmental: Government agency

Operations jurisdiction*
  
County (US) of Suffolk in the state of New York, United States

Size
  
911 square miles (2,360 km)

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. 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).

Contents

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

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:

  • Provides service and enforcement of civil papers, evictions and warrants through its Enforcement Bureau.
  • Is responsible for patrolling and investigating all crimes committed on county-owned property such as county government office buildings and plays a leading law enforcement role in the Long Island Pine Barrens.
  • Has a Countywide DWI Enforcement Team which consists of 3 Drug Recognition Experts (D.R.E.), which is funded by the STOP-DWI program.
  • Issues pistol permits for the 5 eastern townships of Suffolk County through its' Pistol License Bureau.
  • Has an Emergency Management Section. The Sheriff and the County Executive are the two County Officials with a broad range of authority in declaring a State of Emergency.
  • Operates a Domestic Violence Bureau. Deputy Sheriffs assigned to this command serve and enforce the Orders of Protection; they arrest individuals charged with violating Orders of Protection and those with Family Offense related warrants. The third function is to provide victims with a safe refuge by removing batterers from the home, seizing weapons and executing all arrest warrants against the perpetrators of domestic violence.
  • Has several specialized sections, including K-9, Marine Patrol, a Dive Team, a Mountain Bike Unit, an ATV Unit, the Sheriff's Emergency Response Team (SERT), an Honor Guard, Air Support Unit, Grants Bureau, and a tactical entry weapons team and a sniper section.
  • Operates the two Suffolk County correctional facilities (in Yaphank and Riverhead), provides county courthouse security and detention.
  • Is the Downstate New York Coordinator for Project Lifesaver International. Project Lifesaver is a Countywide Emergency Locator Service capable of finding those diagnosed with a cognitive impairment (Alzheimer's, Dementia, Autism, Down Syndrome, etc.) which may cause them to wander and become lost. Those enrolled in the program wear a one-ounce tracking device that can be tracked by specially trained Deputy Sheriffs.

    • 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.

    List of Sheriffs

    There have been many Sheriffs through 332 years of service.

    Line of duty deaths

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

    SCSO awards, commendations, citations and medals

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

  • Medal of Honor:

    • 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.

  • Combat Gold Medal:

    • 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.

  • Bravery Gold Medal:

    • 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 intelligently performed, involving personal risk of life, or involvining grave personal danger.

  • Combat Silver Medal

    • 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.

  • Bravery Silver Medal

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

  • Purple Heart:

    • 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.

  • Exceptional Meritorious Award:

    • 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.

  • Meritorious Service Award:

    • 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.

  • Exceptional Service Award:

    • 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.

  • Special Service Award:

    • 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.

  • DWI Award:

    • 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.

  • Letter of Commendation:

    • 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.

  • Letter of Recognition:

    • 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.

  • Civilian Commendation:

    • 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.

  • Civilian Award:

    • 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.

  • Unit Award:

    • 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.

  • 9-11 World Trade Center Award:

    • 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.

  • T.W.A. Flight 800 Crash Site Award:

    • 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.

  • Professionalization Award:

    • 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.

  • Emergency Medical Technician Award:

    • 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.

  • Firearms Instructor Award:

    • 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.

  • Instructor Award:

    • 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.

  • Field Training Officer Award:

    • 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.

  • Tactical Unit Award:

    • 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.

  • S.E.R.T. Unit Award:

    • 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.

  • Longevity Award:

    • 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.

  • Military Veteran Award:

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

  • Military Branch of Service Award:

    • 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.

  • Firearms Proficiency Award:

    • 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.

    References

    Suffolk County Sheriff's Office Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA