Campbell Hall

To the editor:

As the petition period for the Republican primary starts this week, I wanted to touch on a few things:

I retired in 2023 as the first female Zone Commander of the State Police in Sullivan County, serving in that position for 3 years. I am appalled by the words Undersheriff Chaboty has spoken towards females. Not only is it derogatory, but it is even more disheartening that after it was brought to the public’s attention, you have chosen to continue to defend the comment instead of offering up an “I AM SORRY.”

The Undersheriff has spoken about cutting edge technology being used to inventory evidence within the department. 

In 2014 I was the Station Commander in charge of the State Police crime laboratory at Stewart airport, and that system, Beast, had already been implemented. So the cutting edge technology that is being spoken about in 2025, is not so new, and is actually antiquated. I think it is great that this is being used, but be honest with the community that this is actually not the latest and greatest in inventory and asset tracking.

Drones and SWAT teams are needed additions to agencies. Drones are becoming more prevalent as First Responders to Scenes. So Kudos to you for implementing that. SWAT teams however, should be utilized and developed within agencies as long as you have enough manpower and can provide them with the proper training. 

It is clear that the Sheriff’s department is understaffed. So what is your priority? Being able to have these additional resources, yet not be able to provide the adequate amount of road patrols? If you are understaffed, are your SWAT members getting enough training to allow them to do their jobs and minimize injuries? 

I recently attended the NYS Sheriffs Association Conference, which is held annually in January and heavily attended by Sheriffs and Undersheriffs across the state. This allows for training, collaboration, and discussions about prevalent topics within Sheriffs departments across the state. Why weren’t the Sullivan County Sheriff nor the Undersheriff in attendance at this 3 day conference? There was no one from the Sheriff’s office registered or in attendance at the event. Why?

What is the current position on body cameras? Most police agencies now have them and they are beneficial for many reasons. While they are costly, they provide transparency to the public and real time view of incidents as they are happening. When the next major incident occurs, the community will want to see the camera footage, and right now, you won’t have any to immediately defend the department’s actions.

Why is the Sheriff’s department not accredited? The Law Enforcement Accreditation program is designed to improve an agency’s effectiveness, efficiency and promote professionalism. Agencies must meet a set of standards in three categories: administration, training and operations. While an optional program, most agencies strive to become accredited as it brings another level of accountability to the department.

Who is the Chief of Patrol at the Sheriff’s department currently? At a recent county public safety meeting, it was mentioned that the current Chief of patrol, is not even a certified police officer.

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services released tech grants in May of 2024 to 378 police agencies totaling $127,019,249. All agencies that applied for funding received it. Town of Fallsburg PD and Village of Liberty PD included. Why did you not apply for this grant? The scope of the grant is to advance technology within agencies. By applying for grants such as this one, you are saving the taxpayers money while also keeping your agency up to date with technology that assists in all law enforcement functions.

It appears that the hard work to become accredited, apply for grants, and researching body cameras is not being done. 

The jail is severely under capacity. While it has been mentioned that the opportunity to house federal or other counties inmates, to provide funding, could assist in offsetting the massive expenditures, you have simply told the public that it cannot be done. However, there are multiple other counties within the state that have found the way to do this. So instead of shutting down the idea, why not ask, which counties are doing this, discuss with them how they did it and then find a way to implement it in Sullivan County.

I do not live in Sullivan County. However, I worked for the State Police within Sullivan County for over 15 years. I have worked well with the Sheriff and Undersheriff throughout those years. However, just because you have been in an elected position for 19 years, does not mean you are the most capable person to continue in that position. 

I want to see Sullivan County thrive. Create a fully staffed patrol division, augment that with the detective bureau. When a large incident occurs, contact the State and local agencies immediately for assistance. Collaborate with the other agencies. Ask the public, “What can we do for you?” They are becoming defensive instead of providing answers to the public on what the next four years look like if they are to be elected into the position again. 

Accountability to the people you serve is what Community Policing is all about. Ask anyone who knows me or has worked for me. I care and I want to do the right thing for the community.

 This is not about friendships, but about who is going to make the most impactful change for Sullivan County.