I wanted to introduce him to the people of our group and let him know that we've got his back”

Legislature Chairman David Forsythe

BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CANTON -- Long time law enforcement officer and former Marine Rick Engle is officially St. Lawrence County's newest Sheriff.

Engle was sworn in during the County Legislature's Jan. 2 organizational meeting.

Chairman David Forsythe, who was elected to the role again during the meeting, said he is excited for the future ahead and to have the opportunity to work with Engle.

Forysthe was complimentary of Engle and new Under-Sheriff Shawn McCarger, saying both will continue to do good work for the county.

"I, along with this board, look forward to working with you in the coming year," Forsythe said.

Forsythe said he did not know Engle well previously, despite both being from Lisbon, but throughout the year and through many conversations he quickly learned what an asset Engle would be to the county.

"I wanted to introduce him to the people of our group and let him know that we've got his back," Forsythe said.  

"They will do an outstanding job. I've been impressed with both of them," he continued.

Engle lives in Lisbon and is a 20 year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office. He previously served in the United State Marine Corps. In an interview with North Country This Week, Engle said his priorities include expanding the county’s school resource officer program, tackling the drug epidemic plaguing the county and protecting Second Amendment rights. He says as sheriff he believes he can improve morale of the sheriff’s deputies, the corrections officers inside the sheriff’s office and rebuild relationships with other law enforcement agencies.

As the top law enforcement authority in the county, public safety is a high priority for the sheriff, but with swatting incidents and a mass shootings, school safety has become a focus locally and nationally in recent years.

Engle says he’s pleased more schools have brought law enforcement into their buildings in the form of school resource officers, but says the current program being used by the county could use some adjustments.

As it stands the sheriff’s office is willing to hire and train deputies if the schools are willing to cover the cost. Engle says that’s a hefty sum for many schools and would create a glut of deputies in the summer months when school isn't in session.

In regard to the county’s ever-growing drug problem, Engle believes expanding the county’s drug task force is one of the steps that should be taken, but added there is no “silver bullet” to the problem which isn’t just a local one.

He said substance abuse addiction recovery programs need improvements to ensure people aren't just kept clean for 28 days and then thrown back into the same environment. He also noted that the costs for existing treatment programs and the recovery success rate make for high costs and poor results.

He says that bringing in other agencies and professionals to the table to tackle issues is an important part of bringing in the resources necessary for change, because law enforcement alone can’t stop the problem.

As for the law enforcement end though, Engle says that under the current administration the drug task force has shrunk, for a number of reasons and that needs to change. He said reduction in some local police forces is a contributor but said strained relationships between the departments is also a major contributor.

“The bond between law enforcement isn’t there anymore. It is between rank and file, because we’re all in the same trenches but as far as the line of communication between administrators and the sheriff’s office, it’s not there anymore,” he said.

In a previous interview with North Country This Week, Engle said he is confident of the administrative functions of the office and the team he has in place.

“You have people that are in supervisor positions, like your sergeants. You promoted them because you trusted them. You were confident in their abilities,” he said. “There is a chain of command for a reason. So it’s about putting the right people in the right position and letting them do their jobs.”

He says as sheriff he believes he can improve morale of the sheriff’s deputies, the corrections officers inside the sheriff’s office and rebuild relationships with other law enforcement agencies.