The SYDA Foundation announced that Steve D’Agata, Chief of Police for the Village of Liberty, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 SYDA Foundation Community Service Award (CSA).

The SYDA Foundation sponsors the CSA, which was established in 1986. The CSA is a community-driven honor celebrating residents whose selfless service and visionary commitment deliver enduring impact on the well-being of their Sullivan County neighbors.  This year marks the 41st anniversary of the award.

The SYDA Foundation Community Service Award presentation ceremony will take place on Wednesday, November 18, at 1 p.m. at the Sullivan County Government Center’s Legislative Meeting Room at 100 North Street, Monticello, NY 12701. Everyone is welcome to attend.

This prestigious award includes a certificate of merit for outstanding service to the Sullivan County community and a donation of $7,500 to be distributed by the recipient to the charities of their choice. D’Agata has chosen to donate the full amount of the monetary award to Hope Not Handcuffs.

At the heart of the CSA award is community.  The honoree is chosen by a dedicated selection committee comprised entirely of local civic leaders and past award recipients. The committee selected D’Agata in recognition of his groundbreaking advocacy for community-centered public safety and his relentless work breaking barriers to care for individuals facing mental health and substance abuse challenges.

A lifelong Sullivan County resident, D’Agata grew up in Bethel and Monticello. After graduating from SUNY Albany with a dual bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and psychology, he returned to Sullivan County to pursue a career in local law enforcement.

He became a police officer for the Liberty Police Department and moved up through the ranks, becoming Detective Sergeant, and was then appointed the Chief of Police for the Village of Liberty in 2021.

As a detective, he served on the FBI’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force. His experiences on the Task Force led him to seek out ways to keep people with substance use disorders out of the criminal justice system and into treatment.

After encountering the challenges of connecting individuals to treatment firsthand, Steve began partnering with Hope Not Handcuffs, a non-profit organization which connects law enforcement to community organizations who help individuals with substance use disorders to find support. Hope Not Handcuffs currently works with 65 law enforcement agencies across six counties.

D’Agata also secured funding for the Sullivan County Quick Response Team, which uses a proactive, multidisciplinary approach to reach out within 48 hours to individuals who have overdosed, provide them with harm-reduction supplies and connect them to recovery resources.

As a result of many of the initiatives Steve has supported, Sullivan County has seen a 56% reduction in fatal drug overdoses since 2020.

D’Agata expressed that he is “honored and humbled to be receiving this highly regarded award” and hopes that it “brings attention to the vital work that is being done in this community to connect people who are struggling to the resources that they need.”