Candidate Profile: Sheriff Langley Seeks Re-election In 2021

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY - In 2021's general election, residents of the Hudson Valley will be voting for local officials. In anticipation, Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Putnam County Sheriff Robert Langley, Jr is seeking re-election in November. He won his first term in 2017 in a close-fought campaign against a four-term incumbent.

"I firmly believe a Sheriff should be nonpartisan and that is my position as Sheriff," the 58-year-old Philipstown resident told Patch. "I will however be listed on the Ballot on the following lines — Keep Putnam Safe, Democratic."

Langley's opponent is Kevin McConville, who is running on the Republican and Conservative lines.

Learn more about Langley on his campaign website.

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Robert L. Langley:

Occupation

I am in my fourth year as Sheriff of Putnam County. I started my career path as a public servant in emergency services forty years ago with the Mahopac Fire Department and Carmel Ambulance. In 1984, I began my 23 year career with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. My first position was as a Corrections Officer. I went on to become a Deputy Sheriff assigned to Patrol where I served as a K9 handler for 10 years. I supervised patrol shifts and was responsible for the training of new officers. I was promoted to Criminal Investigator and was responsible for forensics and identification. I have a total of 27 years in law enforcement with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and 40 years total in emergency services.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I would like to continue implementing positive changes for the community to make us safer and will continue Keep Putnam Safe as the people’s Sheriff.

The single most pressing issue facing our county is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

As an agency that provides emergency services there are a multitude of issues facing us. We will be focusing on better training for de-escalation and crisis intervention. Nationally mental health is impacting all communities and we need to be better as first responders in dealing with these situations and partnering with our mental health providers. We will continue to expand our resources in this area while working with mental health services in Putnam County.
Additionally, building relationships with our community especially the BIPOC community. I look forward to community engagements with them for a diverse future in our community.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have 27 years of experience in the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office including the management of the entire department. I have worked every facet of the Sheriff’s Office from the Jail to Patrol and Imvestigations. I have patrolled every mile of Putnam County and know the communities I serve. I served in the Mahopac Fire Department and the Carmel Ambulance Corps. I’ve also served with the Garrison Fire Company and the Continental Village Fire Department. I have supervised as Lieutenant, Captain and Chief in the Fire Department. All of my combined training and skill sets in emergency services have made me not only a unique Sheriff, but the most qualified Sheriff.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

The County Health Department did as best they could with the support they were given. There was no guidance from the County other than to follow CDC and NY State Department of Health guidelines. Overall, I believe the County could have done better.

I would have provided Countywide guidance by issuing a policy with minimum recommendations to all county departments which they could have taken further. Even though, under the Governor’s Executive Order regarding the open meetings law which allowed government to hold meetings without public participation, I would have ensured the people had the opportunity to interactively participate in all public meetings to engage with our elected officials. The people have the right to engage with and ask questions of their elected officials. They should never have been shut out of public meetings given the level of technology available for remote meetings.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Major law changes took effect over the past three years in NY State which changed the way of policing from how it was done in the past. I was there for all of these changes and have the most current knowledge of all the laws that impact the responsibilities of Sheriff. We continued to be effective in Keeping Putnam Safe and reducing crime, while other areas throughout the state had major spikes in crimes. Even though the Sheriff’s Office was defunded in an 8-1 vote by our county lawmakers we continued to do more with less and stay within the overall budget. The safety of everyone is and will always be my top priority.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Keeping the staff and inmates safe during a worldwide pandemic of the likes that had not been seen in over 100 years. As essential services the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office were required to report for duty to serve the community. We developed comprehensive plans that maintained a safe environment and guarded against the spread of a virus we knew little about. We were one of the only jails in New York State that had no cases of COVID amongst the jail population.

I reduced crime, opioid-related deaths and domestic violence working collaboratively with others and some of this was done while operating under an austerity budget and reduced annual budget (More with less).

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Mark Twain’s quote, “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything”

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

As the Sheriff, I do not take political sides and base my decisions of the needs of the public equally and impartially. As an elected Sheriff, I work for the people and will always make myself available to meet with members of the public.

ALSO SEE

• Putnam Adds Hours For In-Person Absentee Ballot Applications
• Early Voting Locations, Times Set In Putnam County
• Election 2021: State, Local Propositions Fill Back Of Ballot

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