November 20, 2002

Sheriff-elect demands 'courtesy badges' back

By Chris McKenna
Times Herald-Record
cmckenna@th-record.com

Any civilian caught flashing an Orange County sheriff's badge after March 1 could slip deeper into the world of law enforcement than he'd intended - on the wrong side.

Sheriff-elect Carl DuBois said yesterday he's demanding the return of all "courtesy badges" issued by the sheriff's office. He said he'll offer a 60-day amnesty period after taking office on Jan. 1, during which anyone who turns in a badge will face no criminal charges.

After that, wielding a sheriff's badge during a traffic stop would no longer be a handy way to avoid a speeding ticket. It might only make matters worse for the badge holder.

DuBois said he'll put out a message to New York state law enforcement agencies, asking them to confiscate courtesy badges and file charges if they're warranted.

DuBois called the badges a liability for the county. "This is our first step in reeling them in," said DuBois, who beat Sheriff H. Frank Bigger in a Republican primary and Democrat John Whiffen on Nov. 5. Last year, a law firm hired to investigate the Sheriff's Office criticized the long-standing practice of giving out "courtesy tins," saying the county could get sued if civilians misused badges they were given.

County lawmakers, the district attorney and a state assemblyman all condemned the courtesy badges.

Bigger called them harmless, but said he'd stop giving them out and destroy any that are returned.

Yesterday, he said his office wrote letters to "consultants" who got badges, and asked for them back. He said he didn't know how many were contacted or how many turned them in.

"We've been trying to get our shields back," Bigger said.

But he said he couldn't understand the fuss over his office's courtesy badges. He said sheriffs before him and law enforcement agencies everywhere also gave them out. "It's a common thing," he said.

In August 2000, a New Windsor businessman showed his courtesy sheriff's badge to Newburgh police while parked in a known drug spot, telling the cops he was "on the job." He later pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and paid a $310 fine.