Tim O'Neill Announces Bid for Rockland Sheriff

Thursday night at La Terrazza restaurant on Main Street in New City, Clarkstown Police Det. Sgt. Tim O’Neill, a Stony Point Democrat, formally announced his second bid to become Rockland County sheriff.

He was joined by friends, family, supporters, and several local politicians, including state Sen. David Carlucci, who introduced him.

 O’Neill ran for Sheriff in 2007 but lost to longtime Sheriff James Kralik, R-Sloastburg, in a close race. Kralik is retiring this year and has backed Lou Falco, D-Orangetown, to be his sucessor. Falco is currently chief of the Sheriff's Department Police Division, based in New City.

O’Neill won four of the five townships in his race against Kralik, losing only Ramapo. However, that was enough for Kralik to carry the race.

O'Neill said that in making his second bid for sheriff, Carlucci serves as an inspiration for him. Carlucci, D-New City, in November 2010 defeated longtime Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef, R-Orangetown, to become state senator. Carlucci, 30, was Clarkstown's town clerk, a post he won by defeating longtime Clarkstown Town Clerk Patricia Sheridan.

“He first ran against a longtime incumbent and was told he couldn’t win,” O’Neill said of Carlucci in his speech. “And when David got into the Clarkstown Town Clerk's office he accomplished everything he said he would do. Then last year he took a monumental task, and won a stunning victory [against Vanderhoef], and now he is in Albany doing what he said he would do, going up against the old political machine, and David is already doing great things […]”.

For these two, in fact, the respect appears mutual.

“It’s guys like Tim O’Neill that make Rockland County the great county that it is to live and raise a family,” Carlucci said while introducing O’Neill.

Some of the other local politicians in attendance included Harriet Cornell, D-West Nyack, chairwoman of the Rockland County Legislature, Alexander Gromack, Clarkstown, D-Coners, town supervisor, and Justin Sweet, D-New City, the current Clarkstown town clerk .

In his primary race against Falco, O'Neill said his campaign is not hurt by Kralik's public endorsement of Falco for sheriff.

“I think it actually helps me, because the current sheriff is trying to pick the next sheriff, and if anything we need a change over there,” O’Neill stated in an interview after his speech.

Indeed O’Neill said he is hoping to take much of the “politics” out of the Sheriff’s Department, particularly when it comes to promotions.

“We’re going to have promotions based on merit, not how it is done now, where it’s who you know,” he clarified in an interview after his announcement.

In fact, despite his loss in the previous election, O’Neill said he would not change any of his main platforms from his prior campaign. In particular he promised to decrease the Sheriff’s budget by 5 percent in his first year in office to help save the taxpayers money. He in part plans to do this by eliminating duplication of services.

“Instead of having county legislators call the Sheriff’s budget, and I quote, ‘a pipe dream,’ in my administration we will have a clear and transparent budget that takes into account the needs of the department, but also the reality of your wallet,” O’Neill promised in his speech. “As sheriff, I will work with the county executive and the Legislature to produce a straightforward and transparent budget, not the smoke and mirrors that is taking place now.”

O’Neill’s other big issue involves dealing with the county jail in New CIty, one of the Sheriff’s Department's main responsibilities. He promised that if elected he would provide the facility with the care it deserves.

“There has been a lack of commitment and attention to the jail for too long,” he said during his speech. “As the needs of the jail increase, our correction officers deserve the best training, equipment, and infrastructure to do the very difficult and critical job they do every day for our county. And don’t be fooled! There will be a newfound interest in the jail during this campaign just as in the last, but that doesn’t translate into real change. It’s time for the jail to receive the proper attention it deserves and requires.”

In fact one of the event’s attendees, Luigi Crispino. was a local correctional officer himself. He noted that he has not yet decided which candidate he will support in the election, so he is listening to both sides before making up his mind. As with O’Neill, the maintenance of the jail is an important issue for him.

“We’re looking for a candidate to have that strong stronghold when they get in on making sure that the jail is run efficiently,” Crispino said.

Others at the event were more definitive in their support for O’Neill, including his friend Richard O’Neill (no relation).

“He’s a great man,” Richard O’Neill said of Tim. “[…] We’ve been friends for more than 30 years, and for all these years he’s done nothing but do things for people. He’s a very giving person; that’s just his nature. He’s a guy who [if] you need something, he’ll do it for you, and that’s the kind of people we need in the Sheriff’s office.”

After more than 30 years with the Clarkstown Police Department, O'Neill says he is planning on retiring from the department in May. In his current role, O'Neill oversees programs such as DARE, in which local police officers conduct drug prevention programs in local schools.

In his career, O'Neill has also served as a police union leader and he has been active in the community. This year, he was selected by the Ancient Order of Hibernians as the grand marshal of the Rockland St. Patrick's Day Parade in Pearl River.

Here is the text of O'Neill's speech to supporters Thursday night in New City:

Tonight, I am honored to stand before you to announce my candidacy for Rockland County Sheriff.

You might remember this is not the first time you stood by my side while I announced my candidacy for this office. We worked so hard, defeating my opponent in four of the five townships, and the strength of our campaign was undeniable. The people of Rockland spoke up loud and clear, they were tired of politics as usual and wanted a new direction.  On the evening of Tuesday, November 6^th 2007, after coming so very close, we said we would be back. Well tonight, WE ARE BACK.

Today…some may tell you that we have an uphill battle once again. They may say that no matter how many doors you knock on with me, or the number of phone calls or the amount of donations you make, or the envelopes you stuff or the lawn signs you put up…that our efforts will not make a difference.

Well I say to those people, I know your resolve, I know your commitment, I know your determination…and I know mine… it is time all the people of Rockland to stand up.. to stand with me…and just as those people have said its time for a change... It’s Time for Tim!!!

We know that while fours years have passed, little has changed in the Sheriff’s Department, in fact things are worse. The Sheriff’s Department’s single most important responsibility is the Rockland County Correctional Facility and the Sheriff’s Department has failed to fulfill their mission. There has been a lack of commitment and attention to the jail for too long. As the needs of the jail increase, our correction officers deserve the best training, equipment, and infrastructure to do the very difficult and critical job they do every day for our county. And don’t be fooled! There will be a new found interest in the jail during this campaign just as in the last, but that doesn’t translate into real change. It’s time for the jail to receive the proper attention it deserves and requires, It’s Time for Tim!

We also know that during the past four years, Rockland County’s creative budgets have left the taxpayers with an $80 million deficit. A deficit that has brought down the County’s bond rating and continues to plague our residents. The Sheriff’s Department has gone the same way as the county, playing with the numbers, all the while leaving us to foot the bill. The taxpayers of Rockland can not afford to hear its business as usual. It’s time for a honest budget at the Sheriff’s Dept., It’s time for Tim.

As Sheriff my first task will be to set forth a mission to reduce the cost of operations. Families are losing their jobs and their homes, and government must cut back through prudent financial planning. Instead of having county legislators call the Sheriff’s budget and I quote, “a pipe dream”, in my administration we will have a clear and transparent budget that takes into account the needs of the department, but also the reality of your wallet. As Sheriff, I will work with the County Executive and the legislature to produce a straightforward and transparent budget, not the smoke and mirrors that is taking place now. By streamlining operations, I vow to find a 5% cost savings in the Sheriff’s budget in my first year in office. We simply have no other choice. It is time to give people back a feeling of confidence in the budgeting of the Sheriff’s office…and as the people have said… its Time for Tim.

And to the men and women of the Sheriff’s Dept. Police Division, I ask that you keep an open mind. Let me be clear, I respect your work. When I was County PBA President, and against a lot of opposition from many local police departments, I brought the Sheriff’s Department into the PBA as full union members. At the same time, I appointed the now Chief of the Civil Division as the first women to hold office on the PBA Executive Board. By taking the politics out of the Sheriff’s Department and the politics out of promotions , I will make your jobs more secure and you will have the respect of all of the Rockland County law enforcement community.       

We have a very difficult campaign in front of us, make no mistake about this. But I also know four years ago we were in a similar situation and the same people who said we would not succeed will still continue to be very vocal and use the same scare tactics.  But we rose up, we worked hard to make a difference, and we will do it again.

I need your help in the next 6 months, I need the help of everyone in this room and the help of your families and friends because we can not have more of the same.

We know we have the support of the people of Rockland, but we need to double our efforts to get out the vote, we must get the vote out. It’s time to change the status quo, its time to take the politics out of policing, its time to bring confidence back to the people, and as the people have said…..Its Time for Tim 

Thank you all so very much.

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