News

Suffolk Sheriff Toulon Appointed to NYS Municipal Police Training Council
April 1, 2022
LongIsland.com

Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. was recently appointed by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul to the New York State Municipal Police Training Council. The eight-member Municipal Police Training Council promulgates minimum training requirements for newly-appointed police and peace officers and a course of training for police officers appointed to supervisory positions.

“I am honored to be appointed by Governor Hochul to serve on the New York State Municipal Police Training Council,” said Sheriff Toulon. “I look forward to the opportunity and to be able to bring to the table my knowledge of state-of-the-art training techniques to help ensure that our law enforcement officials across the State are best equipped to protect and serve their communities.”read more

Suffolk Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. Sworn in to a Second Term
March 18, 2022
Newsday

Space in the Yaphank Correctional Facility will be used to expand a program that helps find jobs and homes for inmates after their release while doubling as a first-of-its-kind intelligence network where officials can share information with leaders of other jails, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon. Jr. announced Friday as he was sworn into office for his second term.

Toulon, the county's 67th sheriff, also announced plans to form a pair of task forces focusing on mental health and substance abuse among inmates and the community at large. Statistics show that 60% of the state's inmates have been diagnosed with mental health issues.

"There is both a drug and mental health epidemic on Long Island and I want to do all I can to help solve it," Toulon said during his inaugural address in Brentwood. "In the coming months, I will be creating a robust mental health initiative to try to expand access to services, drug and rehabilitation programs inside and outside of the jail to help put an end to this tragic cycle."read more

Suffolk Sheriff's Office Donates Hundreds of Bulletproof Body Armor to Ukraine
March 7, 2022
News 12

The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office is donating nearly 450 pieces of bulletproof body armor to Ukraine.
The four pallets of armor will be donated along with medical supplies, sleeping bags and other essentials.
The necessities were collected during the Long Island-Ukraine Emergency Drive.
"We stand with the people of Ukraine and we want to offer our help any way that we can and I'm proud to announce that the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office is able to step up and provide materials that can help keep them safe," says Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr.
College Hunks Hauling Junk is delivering the donations to a New York City processing center where it will be shipped to Ukrainians fighting against Russia.read more

Babylon Town Sets $25G Fundraising Goal to Help Ukrainian Refugees
March 5, 2022
Newsday

The Town of Babylon is launching a fundraising effort for Ukraine that aims to collect $25,000 through the town’s businesses for refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.

Supervisor Rich Schaffer said the town’s Industrial Development Agency will coordinate the effort by reaching out to IDA clients, local chambers of commerce and the general business community.

"We felt that the monetary collection was the best way to do it," he...read more

New Riverhead Facility Aims To Curb Crime, Address Mental Health
February 23, 2022
Patch

RIVERHEAD, NY — After a dramatic uptick in mental health issues sparked by the pandemic, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon and elected officials are set to unveil a new facility in Riverhead Thursday aimed at addressing the escalating need — and curbing crime.

The new facility, to be located on East Main Street, will help East End and Long Island residents with mental health concerns and address a gap in mental health services caused by providers plagued by backlogs, Toulon said.

Officials at a press event Thursday will discuss statistical data regarding crime and mental health and how availability of mental health services could prevent crimes.read more

Helping our Youth Write the Next Pages of Black history
February 16, 2022
The Suffolk County News

During Black History Month, we stop to consider not only the progress we have made towards equality in this country, but also the ongoing issues facing our Black youth every day.

Historically, young Black males are incarcerated at a higher rate than others. While about 8 percent of the school-age population in Suffolk is African American, Black men currently comprise approximately 41 percent of the inmates under 21 years old in the county jails.

Recent statistics on our youth are even more troubling. We are seeing young people turn to a life of crime at alarming rates, and, without support, they often are unable to get out. A recent report by the nonprofit New York City Criminal Justice Agency found that 48 percent of the 16-year-olds arrested since the Raise the Age law took effect in October 2018 had been rearrested for new crimes by January 2020. These are horrifying statistics that I seek to changeread more