Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today appointed Edgar A. Domenech as the next New York City Sheriff. Mr. Domenech is the former Deputy Director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – the second ranking official at the bureau – and currently serves as Special Agent in Charge of the bureau’s Washington, D.C. Field Division. He has 25 years of law enforcement experience with the ATF, serving in a variety of leadership positions, including as Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division. The New York City Office of the Sheriff is a division of the Department of Finance and is the City’s chief civil law enforcement organization. Mr. Domenech will become the City’s 117th Sheriff, succeeding Sheriff Lindsay Eason, who announced his retirement in October. Undersheriff Joseph Fucito will continue to serve as Acting Sheriff until Mr. Domenech begins work in January. The Mayor was joined at the announcement in the Blue Room of City Hall by Department of Finance Commissioner David M. Frankel and former Sheriff Eason.

“Whether it’s bringing in a parent that is delinquent in child support payments, ensuring debts are paid in civil cases, or enforcing orders of protection in domestic violence cases, the City’s Sheriff is vitally important to the safety and well-being of New Yorkers,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Edgar Domenech has spent the last 25 years serving this country, working to keep explosives and illegal guns off our streets and cracking down on the trafficking of illegal alcohol and tobacco sales. We are going to be tapping his expertise in managing large and complex law enforcement operations to make the Sheriff’s Office even more efficient and effective, and we are very lucky to have him. I also want to add that we have been equally fortunate for the last eight years to have a great Sheriff in Lindsay Eason, and I again want to thank him for his 30 years dedicated service to New York City.”

“Mayor Bloomberg has provided me with an incredible opportunity to again serve the city where I grew up,” said Mr. Domenech. “The Sheriff’s Office is often the unseen hand in the administration of justice in New York City and I look forward to working with the incredible team in place at the Sheriff’s Office to carry out that mission.”

“The Department of Finance is dedicated to making sure people play by the rules, whether it is paying your obligations to the City or making certain you are complying with court orders,” said Commissioner Frankel. “With his deep management and law enforcement background, Edgar’s arrival marks another major step in our efforts to maximize efficiency and innovation.”

Amongst a number of duties, the Sheriff’s Office enforces Orders of Protection in domestic violence cases, apprehends parents who are delinquent in child support and brings them to court, ensures patients with mental illness that are under court order to received treatment are transported to the appropriate facility and apprehends and transports youth placed with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. The Sheriff’s Office also supports operations throughout City government by providing a law enforcement presence, including in the investigation of illegal cigarette sales.

The Sheriff is also responsible for functions including: delivering writs, summonses and seizing personal property in private litigation matters; enforcing money judgments by placing levies on personal property or selling personal property; and serving notice and enforcing evictions.

The New York City Office of the Sheriff has 174 employees, including 118 Deputy Sheriffs, and a budget of $16 million. The Office of the Sheriff became a City government entity in 1942, but the history of the position dates back to 1626, when Jan Lampo was appointed the first Sheriff of New York County. New York City has had a Sheriff in place every year since then, except for 1776 to 1783 when the British possessed the City and placed it under Marshall Law. Notable New York Sheriffs include New York Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Alfred E. Smith (appointed in 1916) and Marinus Willett (appointed 1784), a revolutionary war hero and great-grandson of New York City’s first Mayor, Thomas Willett.

Mr. Domenech received a Bachelor of Arts from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and has a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College at the National Defense University. Mr. Domenech spent much of his childhood in the Richmond Hill section of Queens and attended New York City public schools. He currently lives in Virginia with his wife, Claire.

The Mayor thanked Commissioner Frankel; Andrea Shapiro Davis, Special Advisor to the Mayor; and Anthony Crowell, Counselor to the Mayor; for their efforts in the appointment search.