Onondaga County Sheriff's Office

A Brief History of Juneteenth

From Sheriff Toby Shelley and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office

Juneteenth, observed each year on June 19, commemorates the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved African Americans were free more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The day became known as “Juneteenth,” combining the words June and nineteenth, and has been celebrated since 1866 as a symbol of freedom, hope, and perseverance. It was designated a federal holiday in 2021.

As we recognize Juneteenth, we honor the resilience and contributions of generations of Americans and reflect on the principles of liberty, equality, and justice that unite us. The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to serving all members of our community with dignity, respect, and fairness. We encourage everyone to take time to learn about this important chapter in our nation’s history and to celebrate the progress made while continuing to work together toward a stronger and more united community.

🚨 Interested in a Career as a First Responder? 🚨

Join us at the First Responder Recruiting Event and discover rewarding career opportunities serving your community!

📅 Date: July 15, 2026
⏰ Time: 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Regional Market – F-Shed
2100 Park Street, Syracuse, NY 13208

Meet recruiters from:

🚔 Law Enforcement
🚒 Fire Services
🚑 Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
📞 Emergency Dispatch
🔒 Corrections
🏛️ Emergency Onondaga County Department of Emergency Management

Whether you're exploring a new career path, preparing to enter public service, or looking to make a difference in your community, this event is the perfect opportunity to learn more.
✅ Speak directly with recruiters
✅ Learn about hiring requirements
✅ Explore career pathways
✅ Get answers to your questions

****FREE ADMISSION****

Serving the community starts with you. We look forward to seeing you there!

Sheriff Shelley had the honor today to promote Deputy Brian DenBleyker to Deputy Assistant Chief. We look forward to your leadership and guidance. Congratulations, Brian DenBleyker, on your promotion. You will do great things in your new position.

Ready to take your law enforcement career to the next level? The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office is officially accepting lateral transfers for our Police Division, and your next big opportunity is waiting right here.

If you are a dedicated professional seeking a department that invests in your future and offers unparalleled specialized career paths, OCSO is the place to be. From our state-of-the-art drone unit and modern tactical equipment to our advanced aviation program, we give you the tools and training to truly make an impact. Whether your passion is specialized investigations, community engagement, or cutting-edge technology, we provide the diverse career paths you need to grow.

Don't just clock in, build a legacy with a premier agency that has your back every single day. Bring your experience, your passion, and your drive to Onondaga County.

What We Offer
Specialized Units: Air One aviation, advanced UAV (drone) operations, K9, and tactical teams, Navigation, Bomb Unit...

Modern Equipment: Top-tier gear, advanced technology, and modern fi****ms platforms with red dot optics.

Career Advancement: True upward mobility, specialized training tracks, and diverse assignments.

Community Support: Serve a community that stands firmly behind its law enforcement officers.

Ready to make the move? Contact our recruitment team today, or visit our website to start your lateral transfer process.

****Contact Wendy Murphy: [email protected]****

PREPARING FOR MICRON: Sheriff Shelley Takes Onondaga County Insights to Arizona

As we prepare for the massive Micron project in Clay, proactive planning is everything for local public safety. Sheriff Toby Shelley recently traveled to Arizona to gather firsthand intelligence on how massive microchip manufacturing facilities impact local law enforcement, emergency infrastructure, and county custody operations.

During the trip, Sheriff Shelley met with Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan and Phoenix Police Chief Matthew Giordano. The main objective was to study the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Microchip Plant in Phoenix, which closely mirrors the size, scope, and workforce scale of our upcoming Micron project.

Why This Matters for Onondaga County:

The TSMC project in Phoenix is a massive multi-billion-dollar operation (project is only 1/3 completed) that brought an influx of thousands of construction workers, permanent tech employees, and secondary support businesses to the region. Sheriff Shelley sat down with local leaders to discuss the real-world public safety footprints left by a development of this scale, including traffic management, and the general increase in calls for service that come with rapid population growth. Understanding these trends now ensures the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office is able to prepare to protect our community.

Modernizing Our Infrastructure:

The trip also focused heavily on jail modernization and facility management. Sheriff Shelley met with Maricopa County Executive Chief of Custody Michael Dawson to tour their newest detention facilities and look at their state-of-the-art Intake, Transfer, and Release (ITR) systems. As we continue to evaluate our own regional custody and corrections infrastructure right here at home, seeing how the nation's fourth-largest jail system streamlines its booking processes, improves safety, and utilizes smart technology provides invaluable insight.

Staying ahead of the curve means looking at what works in major hubs and bringing those best practices right back to Onondaga County.

The Sheriff’s Office had a busy but meaningful 3-day stretch, starting with the Onondaga County leg of the statewide Law Enforcement Torch Run, followed by Special Olympics NY Summer Games in Utica!

The Torch Run saw 9 different local agencies share duties es**rting the Flame of Hope from the 9/11 memorial in Dewitt, to host and sponsor Tully’s Good Times on Erie Blvd. The es**rt brought cheers and waves from community members throughout the whole course.

On Friday night, over 30 different agencies came together at Utica University to celebrate inclusion and the spirit of Sport as the 2026 State Summer Games began with the ceremonial lighting of the cauldron. Oneida County venues showcased athletic competition in 6 different events with incredible performances by athletes from all regions of NY.

Our agency is strongly represented through LETR and we are proud and honored year after year to establish relationships, promote the mission of inclusion, and be active members of our community.

Today, we remember D-Day,June 6, 1944,when Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in history on the beaches of Normandy, France.

More than 150,000 American, British, Canadian, and Allied troops crossed the English Channel to begin the liberation of Western Europe from N**i occupation. Many never made it home. Their courage, sacrifice, and determination helped change the course of World War II and defend the freedoms we continue to cherish today.

The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office joins our community and nation in honoring the service members who fought on D-Day, those who gave their lives, and all who carried the burden of that historic mission.

We remember them not only for what they did, but for what they gave, their youth, their safety, and in many cases, their lives, so future generations could live free.

We will never forget.

On 5/28/2026, a group of Critical Incident Support Canines from various regional law enforcement agencies was training locally. They stopped by our SWAT training at the Lt. Michael Hoosock Emergency Management Office and sat in our C Watch roll call at the North Station. Deputies met with K-9 "Annie" (accompanied by her handler, Rich, from U.S. Customs and Border Protection out of Buffalo) and K-9 "General" (accompanied by his handler, Meredith, from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police out of Ottawa, Canada).

The K-9 teams shared their mission to help provide immediate comfort and emotional support following mass violence, natural disasters, or line-of-duty deaths, amongst other tragedies.