By Hank Russell
Local elected officials, family members, local police and friends came to the Van Nostrand Theatre at Suffolk County Community College’s Grant Campus in Brentwood on January 16 to attend the inauguration ceremony for Suffolk County Sheriff Dr. Errol Toulon, Jr. This is the sheriff’s third term.
Toulon is the 67th Sheriff of Suffolk County and the first African American to be elected to a county-wide office on Long Island.
U.S. Congressman Pat Ryan (D-Albany) praised Toulon for his “patriotic values” and his “exemplary service,” adding he has “the support of people behind the badge, behind the uniform and behind bars.” Healso called Toulon “a defender of democracy.”
Brookhaven Town Councilman Neil Foley pointed out Toulon’s devotion to his family, his recovery from cancer and his ability as a hockey player. “He’s a tough guy, but in a good way,” Foley said.
“Sheriff Toulon has done a great job these past eight years, and he will do a tremendous job in the next four years,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine added. “He has done so much for law enforcement in Suffolk County. … We are lucky to have a sheriff of his caliber.”
Toulon was sworn in by his father, Errol D. Toulon, Sr., a former warden with the New York City Department of Corrections. He was joined by his wife, Tina, and granddaughter, Sophia.
During his speech, Toulon thanked his family and friends for their support. “Because of you, I stand here today as a three-term sheriff with a career in law enforcement spanning over five decades,” he said. “I will not take this privilege lightly. I will not let the residents of Suffolk County down.”
When he was elected sheriff, Toulon said, he made it his goal to make his office “the best sheriff’s office in the country.— not just the best in law enforcement but the best in what government can and should be.” While he is proud of what his office has accomplished, “our work is far from done.”
As sheriff, he has visited local schools across the county, expanded the student ambassador program and made the office “a national model for rehabilitation and reentry.” He said jail could be an opportunity for incarcerated individuals to turn their lives around and “make them feel like more than just a statistic.”
In 2020, Toulon’s office launched the Sheriff’s Transition and Reentry Team (START) to help those who are reentering society make a smoother transition and enter the workforce. Toulon touted the program’s success, noting that many in the workforce have received promotions and are even in managerial positions. As a result, the recidivism rate for those who underwent the START program is less than 20%. He also announced an expansion of the Central Intelligence Center and the START program inside an unused portion of the jail.
Toulon also discussed the success of his Anti-Trafficking Unit and the expansion of the Domestic Violence Awareness Unit and DWI Awareness Unit, which “surpassed expectations.” He also emphasized that the expansion of the programs took place “without raising the budget one single cent.”
He also noted there have been challenges during his tenure, such as the increase in fentanyl-related deaths, the pandemic and state legislation on crime, among others, but “we stand behind our officers and the residents that we serve every day. I will do what’s right, despite the politics, pressure or popular opinion. Leadership demands integrity and courage and this is something that I will deliver.”
In conclusion, Toulon said he is “grateful” for the chance to serve this county” and “for the trust you have placed in me, not once, not twice but three times and I promise: I will not let you down.”