Middlesex County Sheriff Receives Paige D. L’Hommedieu Award

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ – Middlesex County’s first female sheriff, Mildred Scott, is the 2023 recipient of Middlesex College’s Paige D. L’Hommedieu Award.

Scott is also the first African-American sheriff of New Jersey.

The Paige D. L’Hommedieu Award is the highest honor bestowed by the college. It was established in 1974 in honor of the founding chair of the Middlesex College Board of Trustees.

“Sheriff Scott has demonstrated throughout her career the kind of unselfish devotion, public commitment, personal idealism, and spirit of volunteerism that Paige D. L’Hommedieu exemplified,” said Middlesex College President Mark McCormick.

Scott was among the first women to graduate from the Middlesex County Police Academy and was the first female to be named chief sheriff officer in Middlesex County. In 2011, she became the first female sheriff in Middlesex County and the first African-American sheriff in New Jersey.

“Sheriff Scott is a true friend to Middlesex College, generously volunteering her professional knowledge, insight, and support to the Middlesex College Police Department, helping to ensure a safe environment for our campus community,” said Mark Finkelstein, Chair of the Middlesex College Board of Trustees.

Scott has served as a council member in Piscataway, a Middlesex County Freeholder, and sheriff of Middlesex County. Scott was presented the award during Middlesex College’s Fall Convocation.

“Receiving this year’s Paige L’Hommedieu Award does more than recognize my efforts and contributions to our community, it represents a significant milestone in my career,” Scott said. “And it is my hope that my achievements, both individually and collectively as a member of the law enforcement community, pave the way for continued progress and diversity in Middlesex County and beyond.”

As sheriff, Scott made significant improvements to the management of the sheriff’s office, contributing to an efficient operation, increasing outreach into communities and providing cost savings to the citizens of Middlesex County.

Among her accomplishments, she undertook a complete overhaul of the previous law enforcement policies and procedures, which led to accreditation status by the New Jersey State Chiefs of Police Association in 2013. Only 10 other sheriff’s offices in the state have achieved this prestigious status.

During her term, Scott hired 26 sheriff’s officers who had been laid off from other counties, saving Middlesex County more than $50,000; improved the security of the courthouses and satellite offices with the installation of additional security cameras; established the Joint Fugitive Task Force in partnership with the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office; increased training for sworn personnel and administrative staff; and implemented the first ever Sheriff’s Civilian Academy.

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