A Fresh Perspective

Times are changing – we see it all around us. Some of it feels positive; some changes present us with new challenges.

The key is to keep up, team up, and adapt. Find new solutions. Make the most of opportunities.

Gary O’Neill has the leadership experience and the fresh perspective Broome County needs. He also has the flexibility and cooperative spirit necessary to turn good ideas into effective solutions that are not just discussed, but implemented.

Efficiency demands teamwork – not micromanagement

During his 26 years of command-level experience, Gary O’Neill has proven himself as an effective leader who successfully motivates his team and maintains a high level of morale through collaboration, trust, and mutual respect.

Maintaining a collaborative environment is equally important when communicating and advocating for the needs of the Sheriff’s Department with the Legislature.

Practical Innovation for Win-Win Solutions

Staying current on changes in State regulations and remaining well-informed on the best practices of other departments can lead to new possibilities for solving old problems. As Sheriff, Gary O’Neill will revisit policies such as:

• Housing out-of-area inmates – Often touted as a source of revenue, this policy needs to be reviewed more carefully to determine whether it actually generates revenue for the County or simply shifts expenses from one cost center to another.
• Central booking – An idea that has been discussed for years, county-wide central booking would free up the resources of local police departments by handling the booking and holding of all pre-arraigned prisoners at the Broome County Correctional Facility. Although there are many advantages to this type of system, it was never implemented due in part, to a State regulation requiring pre-arraigned prisoners to be kept separate from those who have already been arraigned. The additional space needed to house prisoners separately could have compromised any net savings. However, New York State has begun relaxing this regulation, allowing several counties to house arraigned and pre-arraigned prisoners in the same area. If Broome County could get such an exemption, Central Booking is a system worth revisiting for the good of the entire county.
• Deferred Response - This would allow non-emergency service complaints to be handled by employees either over the phone, or by Broome Security patrol officers. Using Deferred Response would free up more deputies for patrol, while continuing to address all non-emergency complaints in a timely and professional manner.

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"The current distrustful, defensive relationship between Sheriff Harder, the County Executive, and County Legislature, does not lend itself to finding practical solutions to the problems we face now, and those we will face in the future. My working relationship with the County Executive, her administration, and the legislature, as well as other area law enforcement personnel has always been excellent."