Front cover.
Title page.
NYCHS
excerpts
presentation
of the
journal
for the
NYS
Sheriffs
Association
1940
convention
August 4 - 6
at Niagra Falls:
Part II


Webmaster Note #3 of 3: The NYSSA's 1940 convention official journal included group photos of staffers in eight county sheriff departments. The book also included two group photos taken at the NYSSA's Sheriffs Training School. None of the group photo captions named any of the individuals shown. To make individuals in the group photos more visible in this NYCHS presentation, some photos have been divided and their separate sections have been enlarged rather than reduce the whole photo to fit the image window. The text excerpts below begin with a continuation of the afternoon session.

As observed in Webmaster Notes #1 and 2, the convention remarks and resolutions, with their pre-WWII focus on safequarding the nation against totalitarian terrorism, resonate with almost eerie relevancy in our own post-9/11 era. This presentation would not have been possible without the good offices of NYS Commission of Correction Chairman/Commissioner Alan J. Croce, NYCHS president, and, of course, NYSSA.

Photos of
County
Sheriff Staffs
[In the order of their appearance in the book.]

To see a county sheriff staff image, click its underlined name.
Close an open image window
by clicking on its top right X-box before opening another one.

Monroe
County

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Dutchess
County
(#1)
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Dutchess
County
(#2)
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Montgomery
County

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Wyoming
County

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Steuben
County

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Tompkins
County
(#1)
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Tompkins
County
(#2)
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Genesee
County
(#1)
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Genesee
County
(#2)
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Cattaraugus
County
(#1)
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Cattaraugus
County
(#2)
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Ulster
County
(#1)
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Ulster
County
(#2)
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Clinton
County

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Suffolk
County
(#1)
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Suffolk
County
(#2)
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Sixth Annual Convention
New York State Sheriffs' Association
Hotel Niagara - Niagara Falls, N. Y.
Business Session
Monday, August 5, 1940

PRESIDENT CASEY: . . .Are there any further resolutions?

SHERIFF MANGANO: Mr. President, I have a -resolution I would like to offer:

WHEREAS, the Hon. Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of these United States of America, did heretofore and on the 6th day of September, 1939, issue a formal statement as follows:

'The Attorney General has been requested by me to instruct the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice to take charge of investigative work in matters relating to espionage, sabotage, and violations of the neutrality regulations.

'This task must be conducted in a comprehensive and effective manner on a national basis, and all information must be carefully sifted out and correlated in order to avoid confusion and irresponsibility.

'To this end I request all police officers, sheriffs, and all other law enforcement officers in the United States promptly to turn over to the nearest representative of the Federal Bureau of Investigation any information obtained by them relating to espionage, counterespionage, sabotage, subversive activities and violations of the neutrality laws,' and

WHEREAS, the respective Sheriffs of the State of New York are required as constitutional officers to take the following oath of office: 'I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the State of New York, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Sheriff according to the best of my ability,' and

WHEREAS, the statutes of the State of New York provide, among other things, as follows: 'Any person who by word of mouth or writing advocates, advises or teaches the duty, necessity or propriety of overthrowing or overturning organized government by force or violence or prints, publishes, edits, circulates, sells, distributes or publishes, displays any book, paper, document or written or printed matter in any form containing or advocating, advising or teaching the doctrine that organized government should be overthrown by force, violence or unlawful means; or organizes or helps to organize by becoming a member or voluntarily assembles with any friends, group of persons formed to teach or advocate such doctrine shall be guilty of a felony,' and

WHEREAS, the Hon. John Edgar Hoover, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U. S. Department of Justice, has requested cooperation in connection with any information received relating to cases in the aforementioned classifications as contained in the President's proclamation, and

WHEREAS, the Sheriffs of the State of New York, as constitutional officers, are most desirous of combating all activities which are contrary or inimical to our established government:

NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the New York State Sheriffs' Association in convention assembled at Niagara Falls, N. Y., on August 6, 1940, do declare as follows:

1. That in the respective counties of the State of New York, each Sheriff shall take such
affirmative action as may be necessary to stamp out all subversive or fifth column activities.

2. That said Sheriffs shall with determination fully enforce all state statutes now in effect which apply to such activities.

3. That said Sheriffs shall cooperate in the most effective manner with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to assist that Department in its activities relative to the work assigned to it ,as contained in the President's proclamation of September 6, 1939.

NYSSA's
Training School for Sheriffs

(with cooperation of:
NYS Dept. of Education
Bureau of Public Service Training

May 16, 17 & 18, 1940
Syracuse University Law School

Administrative &
Instructional Staff

Training
School
Arrangement
Committee
Photo

[Names not given.]
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George A. Casey, President, NYSSA, Westchester, President of the School.

Edwin R. Auer, First Vice-President, NYSSA, Onondaga.

D. Sayre Beam, Second Vice-President, NYSSA, Livingston.

Lewis N. Spring, Secretary, NYSSA, Wyoming.

Milton V. Saulpaugh, Treas., NYSSA, Columbia.

David Dows, Trustee, NYSSA, Nassau.

William C. Stallknecht, Trustee, NYSSA, Monroe.

Albert E. Ellinger, Trustee, NYSSA, Oneida.

Richard J. Lewis, Chairman, Executive Committee, NYSSA, Albany.

Harry D. Montgomery, Executive Committee, NYSSA, Chautauqua.

Frank J. Quayle, Jr., Executive Committee, NYSSA, Kings.

Rudolph L. LaChapelle, Executive Committee, NYSSA, Clinton.

Jacob S. Dreyer, Executive Committee, NYSSA, Suffolk County.

Ira R. Cowdrick, Executive Committee, NYSSA, Niagara.

Louis R. Yaguda, Counsel and Executive Director, NYSSA, Director of the School.

Training
School
Group Photo:
Left side.

[Names not given.]
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Albert H. Hall, Chief, Bureau of Public Service Training, NYS Department of Education, Secretary of the School.

John B. Hogan, Special Agent, FBI, Washington.

John F. Tremain, Secretary, State Commission of Correction, NYS Department of Correction, Albany.

Lieut. Bryan E. Ford, Director of Training, PD, Rochester.

Donald M. Mawhinney, DA of Onondaga County, Syracuse.

Virgil J. Wolfe, Special Agent, FBI, Washington.

Carroll E. Mealey, Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, BMV, NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, Albany.

Prof. Victor Levine, Syracuse University Law School, Syracuse.

Prof. W. Harvey Reeves, Columbia University Law School, New York City.

Prof. Samuel M. Hesson, Albany Law School, Union University, Albany.

Prof. John W. MacDonald, Professor of Law, Cornell University and Executive Secretary, NYS Law Revision Commission, Ithaca.

Training
School
Group Photo:
Right side.

[Names n
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Dated, Niagara Falls, N. Y., August 6, 1940.
James V. Mangano
Howard C. Harford
Gerald K. Nellis.

. . . (Carried unanimously) . . . .

PRESIDENT CASEY:
We will now hear the report of the Committee on Standardization of Uniforms. Are you ready to report?

SHERIFF MALSAN: We are ready, Mr. President.

Your Committee on Standard Uniforms, after investigating the advisability of adopting a standard uniform for all deputy sheriffs throughout the State of New York, and after examining materials, colors and designs, submits the following recommendations:

1. The Sheriffs of the State of New York should uniform all deputies other than those performing civil work.

2. That the standard color of such uniforms shall be Police Blue with gray trim and with like trim on the trousers or breeches.

3. That a standard State shield should be imposed upon the coat on the left arm which shield shall bear lettering designating the respective county where it is used.

4. That a metropolitan blue cap of the same material as the uniform be adopted which shall bear a standard cap shield bearing the words, "Deputy Sheriff."

5. That the shirt for such uniform be a regulation blue.

Dated: Niagara Falls, N. Y., August 6, 1940.
Charles E. Malsan

Roy L. Chadwick
Gerald K. Nellis
Albert G. Skinner

. . .(Carried unanimously) . . .

PRESIDENT CASEY:
I might add that samples of the proposed uniforms are on display in room 209 and can be seen by any of the members. Also, the Committee would like to have your reactions in this matter. Is the Nominating Committee ready to report?

SHERIFF DANIELS: It is, Mr. President. The Committee spent considerable time in preparing this report, taking into full consideration the existing emergency in our National and State defense programs, and because of the familiarity of the present officers with that problem, your committee feels that the present line of officers should not, at this time, be disturbed. [The incumbents were renominated and re-elected unanimously.] . . .

SHERIFF SKINNER:
I would like to have you ask how many Sheriffs have uniformed deputies.

PRESIDENT CASEY: The survey, so far as I know, is not yet complete, but perhaps Mr. Yaguda can give you a good idea.

MR. YAGUDA: In response to a letter requesting information along this line, I received some answers from 42 of the 62 counties. . . . From that we find that there are about 473 uniformed deputies; not uniformed 1086; with military training 387, automobiles 267. That, I think, answers your question, Sheriff. That survey is not complete. There are still 20 counties to be heard from.

SHERIFF DREYER: I am one of the Sheriffs who has a small uniformed force. These uniforms are of a similar type as has been suggested for all deputies; a blue uniform. These uniforms are still usable at the present time, and I think we can get along with them for awhile. I am wondering, however, whether the Sheriffs have given any consideration to helping the men so that they do not have to buy their own uniforms. These uniforms are expensive, and most of the men are getting a salary that is not very great.

1941 Vote Ends
County Sheriffs &
Sheriff Jail
Role in NYC

In 1941, a public referendum was held on amending the NYC Charter to, among other things,:

  • abolish the separate and independent offices of the five county sheriffs within the city,
  • to consolidate them into a single citywide sheriff's office and
  • to transfer to the NYC Department of Correction any custodial duties concerning criminal case inmates still being carried out by certain county sheriff offices within the city.

Those charter changes were approved by the voters.

As we all realize there are efforts now being made to remove some of our Sheriffs from office, and if this effort is successful it will serve only as a beginning. We cannot afford to let ourselves take matters as they come, we must meet these efforts with counter efforts of our own. We have got to do some of this work ourselves.

PRESIDENT CASEY:
This organization was organized six years ago to protect the Sheriff's office and the Sheriffs themselves from any effort of abolition. So far we have lost no ground. And we have just, begun to fight! We have not lost a single right of office since this organization has been in existence, and we will continue to fight for those rights.

SHERIFF GRANT: Mr. President, I would like to say just a word. I have a feeling that the various sheriffs are not in the close cooperation they should be, and I think that the principal reason is because of the lack of communication facilities. There is a definite need for a system which would enable one sheriff to communicate with another sheriff without the necessity of wasting time placing an ordinary long distance telephone call. It would be extremely helpful to all of us if there were some way to standardize a means of communication by telephone, or some form of communication by any other means, between the sheriffs of the various counties much more could be accomplished by us and with less difficulty. The State Police use, as you know, the teletype system which transmits a message to all of their stations simultaneously, and for that reason the Troopers are in quicker touch with matters than we are. I think we should think about this matter.

PRESIDENT CASEY:
Is there anyone else who wishes to discuss
this question? If not, I would entertain a motion, if the gentleman will make such a motion, that a committee be appointed after this convention to report back to the Executive Committee and to the next convention as to their findings.

SHERIFF GRANT: I make such a motion.

. ... (Carried unanimously). . .

SHERIFF BIGALOW: What did we ever do about the telephone number? If every sheriff could have the same telephone number throughout the State it would help to make the sheriff's office more active in police work.

PRESIDENT CASEY: So far as I know we took up the matter with the telephone company in an effort to have the sheriff's number printed on the front of the book the same as the State Police, but after the company made a survey they reported that this could not be done. There was nothing further done about the matter, I think.

SHERIFF BIGALOW: Would you request your executive officers to look further into that?

PRESIDENT CASEY: The Executive officers will take it up at the next meeting, and they will try to find some answer to the question of putting the telephone number on the front of the telephone book, like the fire department, police department, and so forth. If every sheriff will do his part in this matter I don't think there will be a great deal of trouble. There was also a question regarding a Shefiff's emblem. The officers took that matter up and decided that such an emblem would not be official. Every sheriff, as you probably know, has a right to put a P. D. emblem on his car, and we decided that a Sheriff's emblem would serve no purpose. If there is no further business, I would entertain a motion to adjourn.

SHERIFF AUER: Mr. President, I make a motion to adjourn.

SHERIFF DUNN: Second the motion.

PRESIDENT CASEY: A motion has been made and seconded that this convention adjourn until 1941 at a place to be announced at a later date. Are you ready for the question? Those in favor will say "aye"; those contrariminded will say "no." The motion is carried and the convention is adjourned until 1941. . . . .


More pages of 1940 NYSSA convention journal excerpts:
Page I ------ Page II

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