Suffolk County, New York Sheriff's Office

Infobox Law enforcement agency
agencyname = Suffolk County Sheriff's Office
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abbreviation = SCSO
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patch = NY - Suffolk County Sheriff's Office.jpg
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badge = Suffolk County Office Of The Sheriff.jpg
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formedyear = 1683
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employees = 1255
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country = United States
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divtype = State
divname = New York
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subdivtype = County
subdivname = Suffolk
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mapcaption =
sizearea = 911 square miles
sizepopulation = 1.5 Million +
legaljuris = Suffolk County, NY
governingbody =
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police = Yes
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headquarters = Riverhead, New York
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sworntype = Deputy Sheriffs and Correction Officer
sworn = 1125
unsworntype = Civilian
unsworn = 130
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minister1name =
minister1pfo =
chief1name = Vincent F. DeMarco
chief1position = Sheriff
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lockuptype = Jail
lockups = 3
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boat1type = Patrol Boat
boats1 = 1
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animal1type = Dog
animals1 = 4
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website = [http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/departments/sheriff.aspx Official Site]
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The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office is Suffolk County's oldest law enforcement agency. The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office currently employs approximately 1200 people. The Sheriff's Office and Business Operations are located at the Riverhead Correctional Facility, 100 Center Drive, Riverhead, New York 11901

The Origin Of The Sheriff

The origin of the Sheriff is traceable to the Office of the Sheriff and Constable of early English 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 Governor 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 Constitution adopted in New York in 1777. At the Constitutional Convention in 1821, the appointed Office of the Sheriff was made elective. That year, Abraham Gardiner became Suffolk County’s first elected Sheriff.

The Sheriff's Office today

Today, the Sheriff of Suffolk County is elected to the term of four years. [ [http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/Home/departments/sheriff/SOHistory.aspx Suffolk County Sheriff's Office History page] ]

The Suffolk County Sheriff's office employs 841 correction officers, 247 deputy sheriffs and 130 civilian personnel. [ [http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/departments/sheriff.aspx Suffolk County Sheriff's Office page] ]

With over three hundred years of tradition, the Sheriff's Office has been an integral part of Suffolk County's history. The Sheriff is the highest law enforcement official in the county. The Sheriff's Office operates the two Suffolk County correctional facilities (in Yaphank and Riverhead), provides county courthouse security and detention, service and enforcement of civil papers, evictions and warrants. There is also a full-service patrol unit that primarily assists the East End town and village police forces, although can be assigned anywhere in the county and can respond to 911 calls and make arrests anywhere in Suffolk County. In addition, the Sheriff's Office has several specialized units including K-9 Units, Marine Units, a Dive Team, a Traffic Enforcement Unit (including a Motorcycle Section) which covers all roadways in Suffolk County though is primarily concerned with the East End, Sunrise Highway and the Long Island Expressway, a Mountain Bike Unit, an ATV Unit, a SWAT unit called the Sheriff's Emergency Response Team (SERT) which includes a tactical weapons team and a sniper section. Suffolk County Deputy Sheriff Investigators participate in various task forces (such as the East End Drug Task Force, and the specially created joint task force with the US Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to investigate and arrest illegal immigrant gang members, the DEA, HIDTA and the U.S. Marshals Service), undercover assignments, and also conduct criminal investigations. Suffolk County Deputy Sheriffs are also responsible for patrolling and investigating all crimes committed on county-owned property such as county government office buildings and the campuses of the Suffolk County Community College, as well as providing assistance to the Suffolk County Park Police.

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.

ee also

* List of law enforcement agencies in New York
* List of Long Island law enforcement agencies
* Sheriff
* Suffolk County Police Department

References

External links

* [http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/departments/sheriff.aspx Suffolk County Sheriff's Office page]