New County Sheriff Vows To Crack Down On Gangs, Opioids

SUFFOLK COUNTY — New Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. was sworn in to office Friday — and he gave a moving and powerful inaugural speech at the Suffolk County Community College campus in Brentwood, vowing to crack down on gangs and opioids.

Toulon, the first African American Suffolk County Sheriff and the 67th to take office, began his speech with trademark humility and humor. "I have to say, this is a long way from my days of being a bat boy for the New York Yankees," he said.

Becoming more serious, he said, having battled cancer twice, he'd vowed to "live with no regrets" and embrace the values and the oath of honor he'd taken when he began his career almost 36 years ago.

"For me, this race was a whirlwind, but this job is one I have been preparing for my entire life," Toulon said.

All leaders have a set of values they bring to their organization, Toulon said, values "that shape the culture of the workplace from the top down."

Toulon said he brings to the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office the same core values instilled in both him and his brother by his parents, "humility, hard work, honesty and perseverance."

Growing up in the South Bronx, Toulon said both his parents pursued higher education while working demanding day jobs, his father as a warden on Rikers Island and his mother as a secretary with the New York State Board of Education.

Toulon thanked his mentors in his years spent in correction.

He spoke about how facing "significant challenges," such as battling cancer, he'd learned a critical lesson: "You only have one chance in life, cherish each day. . .Life can drag you down and at times, leave you feeling hopeless, but I was fortunate to have the great support of my family and friends to help me through trials and tribulations."

Campaign reflections

Toulon said he'd met residents, while campaigning, from Montauk to Amityville, Southold to Copaigue, and said he plans to continue to host community events and attend civic meetings to hear concerns, with an eye toward making Suffolk County safer for all.

Suffolk County's first African American sheriff

On becoming Suffolk County's first African American sheriff, Toulon said, "As for Suffolk County not being ready for a black sheriff, I thought it was ironic that my opponent congratulated me on the 62nd anniversary of the day Rosa Parks decided not to give up her seat on that bus in Alabama."

He also thanked Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory, the first African American to hold that post, calling him a "pioneer and a friend. . . I thank him for paving the way."

Cracking down on gangs and opioids

Toulon said while the day was one of celebration, "Our work is just beginning."

The aim is to assist those who need help and "keep those who do harm off our streets," he said.

He plans to leverage law enforcement resources to apprehend those who "commit heinous crimes" and for those serving time, help with the transition back home, if they want the help.

"My goal with young children is to get to them before they get to me. I will do everything in my power to get to them before gangs, and before they are addicted to opioids," he said.

To that end, Toulon said he will soon be announcing a new Suffolk County Sheriff's Office initiative for young people, to prevent teens from using illegal drugs.

"Parents need to be more aware that 75 to 80% of those addicted to heroin start with prescribed pain killers and young people need to be better informed about how quickly their lives will spiral out of control from opioids," he said.

Law enforcement, Toulon said, need to "outsmart drug traffickers operating in the tri-state area," and there's a need to invest in specialized equipment for intelligence gathering, to aid in dismantling sophisticated drug networks.

The urgent and most dangerous issue at hand, Toulon said, is the violence posed by gangs involved in street drug dealing.

"Gangs like MS-13, Bloods, Crips, thrive on the illicit drug trade. They will give young people a false sense of power, kinship and income — until we catch up with them. And we always do," Toulon said.

Programs aimed at immigrant communities, more vulnerable to gang recruitment, will be presented, with a focus on gang resistance education and training, to prevent young people from joining gangs.

"These gangs might think they're tough. They might think they have all the answers, and can outsmart us. They're going to have a long time to think about their decisions when they're sitting behind bars," Toulon said. "They're not match for the men and women of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office."

Programs will also be implemented to tackle recidivism and to help those struggling with mental health issues and addiction to keep from "cycling in and out of correctional facilities," Toulon said. Also, programs will be put in place to help former inmates find work after they are releases.

Small businesses impacted by the opioid crisis will be protected, Toulon said, with new training and equipment a priority.

Toulon's opponent, Republican Larry Zacarese released a statement after the election, conceding the race and congratulating Toulon on his win.

Toulon has reflected: "I️ want to thank the voters and volunteers who have supported my campaign for sheriff and allowed me to get the most votes on Election Day."

It's the first time a new sheriff has been elected in Suffolk County in 12 years; longtime Sheriff Vincent DeMarco didn't seek a fourth term.

According to his campaign website, Toulon has 30 years of criminal justice experience, focused upon corrections intelligence and combating gang violence both inside and outside of correctional facilities.
Toulon has 22 years of experience as a uniformed Member of Service with the New York City Correction Department, where he served as a supervisor and instructor at the Correction Academy, the Firearms and Tactics Unit, Emergency Service Unit and Office of Compliance Consultants, his bio states.

Next, he spent two years as assistant deputy county executive for public safety under former Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.

In 2014, Toulon was named Deputy Commissioner of Operations for the New York City Correction Department; he oversaw the applicant investigation unit, training academy, correction intelligence bureau, emergency preparedness and the policy and procedures unit, his bio states.

In addition, his bio said, Toulon, Jr. is certified through the Department of Homeland Security in emergency planning, radiological emergency management, incident response to terrorist bombing, WMD threat and risk assessment and state disaster management; Toulon is certified to teach weapons of mass destruction awareness, NIMS, domestic terrorism and hate crimes, his bio said.

He received his master's degree in business administration from Dowling College, an advanced certificate in Homeland Security management from Long Island University, recently completed his doctorate in educational administration and attended leadership courses at JFK School of Government at Harvard University, according to his campaign page.

He is a two time cancer survivor recovering from lymphoma as well as pancreatic cancer, his bio says. "His battles with cancer have inspired him to further dedicate his life to helping others," the campaign page reads.

Patch courtesy photo.

Video courtesy Suffolk County Sheriff's Office.