Suffolk County
Deputy Sheriffs PBA
History of the Sheriff's Office
Updated On: Sep 268, 2018

The Origin Of The Sheriff

The origin of the Sheriff is traceable to the Office of the Sheriff and Constable of early English history. On Long Island, from 1664 to 1683, ridings were used to establish boundaries within the Shire. The East riding comprised the territory now occupied by SuffolkCounty. The West riding consisted of KingsCounty and Newtown (Queens). The remainder of Long Island belonged to the North riding. Collectively, the three ridings were called Yorkshire.

 

The Governor appointed a “High Sheriff” for Yorkshire with a Deputy from each riding. In 1683, the ridings were abolished and the East riding became SuffolkCounty. The High Sheriff was no longer necessary being that each County would now have its own Sheriff. SuffolkCounty’s first Sheriff was Josiah Hobart in 1683.

 

After the American Revolution, the practice of the Governor appointing a Sheriff continued and was incorporated into the first Constitution adopted in New York in 1777. At the Constitutional Convention in 1821, the appointed Office of the Sheriff was made elective. That year, Abraham Gardiner became SuffolkCounty’s first elected Sheriff.

 

Today, the Sheriff of Suffolk County is elected to the term of four years.

The Sheriffs Of Suffolk County
325 years of continuous service

Josiah Hobart

1683

Stephen Wilson

1859

John Mulford

1701

Daniel Osborn

1862

Hugh Gray

1702

George Smith

1868

John Brush

1710

J. Henry Perkins

1871

Daniel Youngs

1718

Egbert Lewis

1874

Samuel Dayton

1723

George Cooper

1877

William Sell

1728

Robert Petty

1888

Joseph Smith

1730

Selah Brewster

1883

David Corrie

1731

Henry Halsey

1886

Jacob Conklin

1734

Robert Petty

1888

Thomas Higbe

1740

A. M. Darling

1891

James Muirson

1774

Benjamin Wood

1897

Thomas Wickes

1785

J. Sheridan Wells

1900

Silas Halsey

1787

Henry Preston

1903

Thomas Wickes

1791

John Wells

1906

Phinaes Carll

1799

Charles Platt

1909

Josiah Reeve

1803

Melville Brush

1912

Phinaes Smith

1807

D. Henry Brown

1913

Josiah Reeve

1808

Charles O'Dell

1914

Benjamin Brewster

1810

Amza Biggs

1917

Josiah Reeve

1811

John Kelly

1920

Benjamin Brewster

1812

Amza Biggs

1923

Josiah Reeve

1813

Burton Howe

1926

Nathaniel Conklin

1814

Ellis Taylor

1929

Josiah Reeve

1815

Joseph Warta

1932

Samuel Carll

1819

William McCollom

1935

Abraham Gardiner

1821

Jacob Dreyer

1938

Samuel Smith

1826

John Levy

1941

Abraham Gardiner

1829

William McCollom

1942

Richard Smith

1832

Charles Dominy

1957

Silas Horton

1835

Frank Gross

1962

Samuel Miller

1838

Philip Corso

1970

David Brush

1841

Donald Dilworth

1976

Henry Penny

1844

John Finnerty

1977

David Rose

1847

Eugene Dooley

1986

John Clark

1850

Patrick Mahoney

1990

Samuel Phillips

1855

Alfred C. Tisch

2002

George Carman

1856

Vincent F. Demarco 

2006 

Errol D. Toulon Jr. - 2018 to Present


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