The Ulster County Police Chiefs Association held its annual awards dinner last month, recognizing law enforcement officers from across the county for individual acts or the span of their careers. Among those honored at the event was former Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra, who retired last September in the fallout of an ongoing public dispute with Town of Saugerties officials.
“Obviously things didn’t end the way I wanted them to,” Sinagra said in an interview with Hudson Valley One last week. “Nevertheless, I had a 36-year career that I’m very proud of, you know, and it’s just nice to be recognized by your fellow peers and to get a standing ovation.
Sinagra was one of two Lifetime Achievement Award recipients at the event held on Wednesday, May 22 at Novella’s in New Paltz. The other was retired New York State Police Captain Mario Restivo.
“The annual awards presentations hosted by the Police Chiefs Association of Ulster County provide an opportunity to both showcase and honor our law enforcement officers, whose commitment and dedication significantly contribute to the safety of our communities,” said Rosendale Police Chief Scott Schaffrick, president of the Police Chiefs Association. “We extend our sincerest gratitude to their families, who support the efforts of our officers. Last week, we recognized the heroic and dedicated achievements from 2023.”
Among local law enforcement honored was Ulster Police Department Detective Sgt. Cheryl Benjamin, who received an award for Meritorious Police Service: Investigation into the August 2022 death of a 14-year old girl. As a result of her work, two adults were indicted and charged for having been aware of on contributors to her consumption of drugs and alcohol, including fentanyl, which caused the girl’s death.
In addition to the law enforcement officers, private citizens were also honored at the event.
“We acknowledged citizens such as Mr. Bryant Jensen and Mr. Michael Buckley, who, upon encountering an accident scene, selflessly used their belts as tourniquets,” Schaffrick said of an incident in Plattekill. “Working with a detective who arrived on the scene, they provided critical aid and saved a life.”
Schaffrick said the overarching theme for the annual awards is service to the community.
“We honored the officers, deputies and troopers who have performed CPR both on and off duty, saving lives, as well as the dispatchers who have been the vital link in emergency communications,” he said. “We commended the collaborative efforts of multiple agencies on investigations and critical incidents, and the relentless dedication of investigators tackling cases involving children, firearms, and drugs. Our success is a testament to their unwavering efforts.”
And Sinagra’s long career, Schaffrick added, was in service to the community and deserving of being honored.
“Each year, we also recognize the police chiefs, sheriffs and state police zone commanders who have retired, acknowledging their years of service to law enforcement and their contributions to improving life in Ulster County,” Schaffrick said. “In recognition of retired Chief Sinagra’s 35 years of dedicated service in Ulster County, the association honored him with a commemorative plaque. Throughout his career, Chief Sinagra consistently sought to introduce new technologies and programs to enhance the capabilities of our law enforcement agencies across Ulster County. This gesture is a sincere expression of gratitude for his contributions and commitment to improving public safety.”
Sinagra is a former president of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, past president of the Mid-Hudson Chiefs of Police Association and former president of the Ulster County Police Chiefs Association. He is currently a member of the NYSACOP Traffic Safety Committee and the Ulster County Traffic Safety Advisory Board and also works as an assessor for the New York State DCJS Accreditation program.
Sinagra retired from the SPD in the wake of a July 7, 2023 report by New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office (LEMIO) which covered multiple complaints against Officer Dion Johnson, including allegations of harassment and sexual assault. Town board members pointed to the report and the department’s response as a primary motivation for placing Sinagra on administrative leave over the summer of 2023. Sinagra maintained that he hadn’t done anything wrong and pointed to other factors.
“It was a smokescreen,” Sinagra said last September. “They just didn’t want me there any longer.”
Last week, Sinagra spoke of what receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award meant to him.
“I was the last award that was presented that night and I got a standing ovation from everybody in the room,” he said. “I mean, that just speaks volumes, and it just reinforces my own mind that everything that I’ve done throughout my career, I’ve always done with the highest degree of ethics and morality. To be recognized for that is just a tremendous honor.”
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