“The flag, the military, and law enforcement belong to all of us, not to any political party. I am a patriotic American, former Commissioned Marine Officer, retired NY State Trooper, and your Sheriff - and I am a proud Democrat.”
— Juan Figueroa
Juan Figueroa
Candidate for Ulster County Sheriff
About Juan
Check out Juan’s podcast interview with Rebekah Hendricks of UCDC’s Youth Outreach Team!
Juan has always had a sense of service to his community and country. Joining the US Marine Corps straight out of Wallkill High School, his deployments across the globe provided a valuable life lesson: diversity and respect are essential, regardless of personal differences.
After four years of active duty, Juan served 18 years with the Marine Corps Reserve. He became a New York State Trooper in 1988, patrolling Ulster County. Among the highlights of his 25-year State Trooper career were investigations of money laundering/narcotics and drug cartels. As Sheriff, Juan values fairness, compassion, respect, and the highest standards of professionalism.
Juan’s Priorities
Fighting the Opioid Crisis
Opioid Response as County Law Enforcement (ORACLE) began soon after I took office in 2019. With a $900,000 grant, we have expanded it beyond education to include a social worker, peer advocates and case manager who are embedded with law enforcement. We steer addicts into treatment rather than incarceration.
Improving Police-Community Relations
In response to the killing of George Floyd and the call for racial justice, all members of the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office participated in groundbreaking Officer-Citizen Interaction Training. We will continue to build bridges rather than walls between law enforcement and the people we serve.
Preventing Youth Violence
The Anti-Violence Response Team (AVERT) works to keep high-risk young people out of the criminal justice system and give incarcerated people an opportunity to stay out of jail once they are released. It includes job training, mental health services, gun buybacks—whatever it takes to break the cycle of violence.
Protecting the Rights of Immigrants
I supported the Green Light bill that allowed undocumented immigrants drivers licenses, making us all safer. We stopped cooperating with ICE, allowing undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows.
Caring for Our Officers
Law enforcement is a tough job that taxes the physical and mental health of officers. We have initiated an Employee Assistance Program and Helping Every Responder Overcome—Resilience Project to ensure that our rank and file are at their best both physically and mentally, so they can better serve the community.
“Through recruitment and hiring, the Sheriff’s Office now looks more like the community. We are the most diverse workforce in county government, including the first African-American Superintendent of Corrections, the first female Detective Sergeant in the Criminal Division, and most recently the first female Superintendent of Corrections.”
— Juan Figueroa
