Thousands of attendees enjoy Sunday picnic, tours of the correctional facility, live demos, Sheriff vehicles, giveaways, bounce house, ice cream and more
Yaphank, N.Y. (Oct. 22, 2023) – In efforts to facilitate strong connections between the community and local law enforcement, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Foundation sponsored the Suffolk County Sheriff’s annual open house and family picnic day on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023.
Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. hosted the event at the Yaphank Correctional Facility.Thousands of residents attended the free event which featured jail tours, demonstrations by the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team and K9 unit, and Sheriff’s Office vehicle displays.
The open house and family day also featured a “Troop Carrier” truck ride, Operation Safe-Child, senior ID and Pet ID card-making stations, a buggy obstacle course, jail riot demonstrations, a bounce house, a free ice cream truck, giveaways, games, music and interactive sports like Tug-of-War, food trucks, horses from Warrior Ranch, and McGruff and Luna the Sheriff’s Office’s wellness dogs. Members of the Suffolk County Girl Scouts were also on hand and earned a special patch at the event.
The event was rescheduled after inclement weather caused it to be canceled in September.
With more than three centuries of continuous service, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office is the oldest law enforcement in Suffolk County, N.Y., and has become known as one of the most innovative law enforcement agencies and correctional systems in the country.
This philosophy and approach of Toulon was the impetus for the birth of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Foundation in 2020. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office combined its work with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Foundation to build a stronger community.
The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Foundation’s mission is to support community-based programming to reduce incidents of crime and recidivism, improve outcomes for at-risk individuals, and build positive relationships with members of law enforcement.
Toulon notes that the greatest opportunity for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Foundation is to have a positive impact on the community — especially its youth.
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