Sheriff Paul J. Van Blarcum joined the Ulster County Sheriffs Office in June of 1976. His 30 years with the department culminated in his election as Sheriff in November 2006. Sheriff Van Blarcum has worked in almost every division of the department, including, corrections, patrol, detective, training, marine, and S.C.U.B.A. The Sheriff is a student at Empire State College and has completed numerous law enforcement and corrections training schools and courses. He was a member of the Sheriffs’ dive team when it was created in 1982 and was the team leader for 10 years. Prior to his election he was assigned as a uniformed patrol sergeant. The Sheriff was formerly a member of the Town of Shandaken Town Board and the Onteora School District Board of Education. He also served as president of the Sheriffs Employees Association and vice president of the Sheriffs PBA. In 1997 the Sheriff took a one year leave of absence from the department to serve with the United Nations International Police Task Force in Bosnia. He was assigned as the Public Security advisor for the southern part of that country. While in Bosnia Van Blarcum organized “Operation Cinderella”, a highly successful shoe drive. Over 17,000 pairs of shoes were collected in Ulster County and shipped via the military to the citizens of Bosnia. The Sheriff commands 175 corrections officer, 87 sworn deputies and 35 support staff. Ulster County has a population of approximately 180,000 and an area of 1,150 square miles.

Click here to visit the Official Ulster County Sheriff's website