ALBANY – , a Democrat, was sworn in Wednesday as President of the . Sheriff Figueroa, who served 22 years in the Marines, including deployments during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, retired from the New York State Police after 25 years, before being elected Ulster County Sheriff in 2018.
Figueroa succeeds Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone in leading the association founded in 1934, which serves the 58 sheriff’s agencies in the state. The association has taken on the task of providing training for sheriffs, undersheriffs, law enforcement supervisors, jail managers, civil deputy sheriffs, and correctional officers, because New York State does not have specific training programs for sheriffs.
With many county sheriffs present including Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta, Columbia County Sheriff Jacqueline Salvatore, Sullivan County Sheriff Michael Schiff, and Undersheriff Eric Chaboty, Figueroa took a moment to honor veterans of the armed forces before bringing Ulster County Court Judge Bryan Rounds to the podium to say “a few words”, which drew laughs from the people familiar with the judge, known as being loquacious.
Judge Rounds noted that county sheriffs in New York are different than any other law enforcement agency, pointing out that local police departments answer to the city council or town board, and the state police have a chain of command with political appointees at the top of the agency. “You represent a unique place in our society,” Rounds told the sheriffs. “You report directly to the voters in your county.”
After taking the oath in front of coworkers, friends, family, and the NYSSA membership, Sheriff Figueroa spoke about the number of significant firsts he brings to the association. “I am the first sheriff of Ulster County, ever, to be the president of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association, but the truth is, I’m also the first Latino sheriff ever elected in New York State, as well as the first to be the president of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association, so it’s quite an honor.”
Figueroa is in his second term as Ulster County Sheriff and recently announced that . “As you heard from the passionate speech from Judge Rounds, we really care for the people in Ulster County, from the judge to the sheriff to the county government to the town governments – we care about the people who live in Ulster County.”