KINGSTON – Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa has announced his intention to seek a third term.  First elected in 2018, the Democrat initiated programs that received national attention, including ORACLE, which embedded a social worker and peer advocates with law enforcement on overdoses, and expanded it with a $1.3 million federal grant in 2022. Figueroa also enhanced law enforcement training, including community-police interaction, de-escalation, and implicit bias training. 

Sheriff Figueroa won his second term in 2022 after running unopposed.

With the latest threats on human rights and due process coming from the federal government,  Figueroa stated that his work to ensure that Ulster County remains grounded in the Constitution and the law is not done yet. “Public safety is paramount and is threatened when segments of the population are forced back into the shadows.” 

“I first ran to be Ulster County Sheriff to heal community-police relations, keep our residents safe, and counter the federal attack on our immigrant neighbors,” said Figueroa. “My seven years serving the people as their sheriff have been a partnership of mutual respect and a commitment to justly uphold the law. Together, we’ve made Ulster County safer and fairer.”  Sheriff Figueroa also hinted at continuing problems in Washington, saying, “With  the return of harsh and unconstitutional federal actions, now is not the time to retreat.” 

Also in his first term, Figueroa, who served 25 years with the New York State Police, stood with Attorney General Letitia James to announce the largest drug bust in the county’s history, recovering 11 kilograms of cocaine, counterfeit prescription drugs laced with methamphetamine and heroin, firearms, and $120,000 in cash. The bust included several agencies and multiple counties in the Hudson Valley.  The takedown of the drug ring was not new to the sheriff.  Figueroa’s state police experience included 19 years as an investigator with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).  During that period, the Wallkill High School graduate worked on several long-term investigations involving narcotics and drug cartels. Investigations during his term as a BCI Investigator resulted in the seizure of over $60 million in cash, more than kilos of drugs, and the arrest of key figures in the drug trade.

Figueroa’s second term built on the successes of his first term with innovations such as the Anti-Violence Effort Response Team (AVERT) to prevent violence, provide second chances to people caught up in nonviolent crime, and expand opportunities for young people. In the county jail, IGNITE  provides pre-apprenticeships in carpentry with the local Carpenters Union, GED classes and testing, work-readiness, and career development. 

Figueroa and the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT) were recognized in 2024 by the US Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and presented with the New York Investigative Group of the Year Award.

Figueroa is seeking the Democratic and Working Families Party lines in his bid for a third term.