Suffolk County sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. was elected in 2017 to his first term, re-elected in 2021 and is now seeking his third term this November. He will run as the Democratic candidate, unopposed.
On Jan. 1, 2018, Dr. Errol D. Toulon Jr. became Suffolk County, New York’s 67th Sheriff and the county’s first African American to be elected to a non-judicial countywide office.He is currently serving his second term as Suffolk’s highest-ranking law enforcement official. He continues to serve and protect the county’s 1.5 million residents through innovative programs to reduce crime and recidivism, and by implementing sound fiscal policies.
With 30 years of law enforcement experience, he said he has learned that succeeding as sheriff requires putting politics aside and getting the job done, which he attributes to earning the endorsement of the Suffolk County Law Enforcement Coalition.
“Those 30 years of experience mean I’ve served long enough to see what works and what doesn’t,” he wrote for his campaign.
Toulon has spent 25 years working on Rikers Island in roles ranging from correction officer to deputy commissioner. He also specialized in training thousands of officers in gang prevention techniques.
“As your sheriff, I have, and will continue to, crack down on violent gangs, like MS-13, to keep gang members behind bars and off our streets,” he promised.
To make Suffolk safer, he promises to continue to invest in new ways to prevent young people from joining gangs in the first place by implementing more mentoring and educational programs in Suffolk’s jails. He also pushes for more tutoring and after-school programs for at-risk youth. His office, he said, has also invested more in community-based, anti-crime programs, and better officer training on how to de-escalate situations before they become violent.
As part of his platform, he also “strongly” opposes defunding the police as well as the Albany bail legislation that releases potential criminals back onto the streets.
“Suffolk is safer when our officers have the backing and the resources they need to do their jobs,” he wrote.
Toulon is a lifelong law enforcement professional. He is endorsed by every law enforcement organization in Suffolk County.
He worked over 25 years in the New York City Department of Correction as a correction officer. He is also a retired captain from the New York City Correction Department. He was appointed as the assistant deputy county executive for public safety in Suffolk County in 2012. At that time, he returned back to the New York City Department of Correction as the deputy commissioner of operations.
He has a Doctorate in Educational Administration and a M.B.A. from Dowling College, a post-graduate certificate in Homeland Security Management from Long Island University and he received his undergraduate degree from Monroe College.
