Tuxedo Park welcomes Dave Conklin as police chief

The Tuxedo Village Board has hired former Monroe Chief Dave Conklin to lead its department.

"I was impressed with Dave both times he interviewed before our search committee and the supporting material that Dave presented," Mayor David C. McFadden said in a posting announcing the hiring on the village's web site. "Further, I am impressed by Dave’s stellar professional and personal references. For example, Monroe Town Supervisor Tony Cardone wrote that 'Dave has been nothing short of upstanding, honest and diligent as a Police Officer and Chief over the many years he served Monroe. He represented all of us well, served us with honor and has been involved in the Monroe Community as a person of integrity.'”

'A part of the fabric of our school community'

The mayor also noted Conklin's work during his tenure as a Monroe sergeant, specifically his work for Monroe-Woodbury School District. Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Matthew Kravatz offered this assessment:

“As the building principal of North Main Street Elementary in Monroe, Dave was instrumental as a sergeant and in his role as Chief of Police," Kravatz said. "He was always open to supporting our school whether it was with traffic support on the streets, assisting with a home visitation or being present at a family event at our school. While those instances helped Dave become a part of the fabric of our school community, it was a national tragedy that enabled Dave and his team to become an integral part of the safety plan within our school and district.”

A record of accomplishment

From 2016-2018, Conklin was chief of police in the Village of Monroe. His 28-year career also includes work as a police officer, detective and sheriff’s deputy. McFadden highlighted the following accomplishments:

 Trained in many professional policing skills and is a certified instructor himself.

 Trained in important human resources practices critical to leading a highly effective police department.

 Reduced sick time by 48 percent.

 Reduced overtime expenditures by 20 percent.

 Developed community policing programs.

 Developed and maintained multiple social media communications platforms to keep residents informed.

 Successfully received more than $150,000 in grants over two years.

"I would like to see Dave duplicate these accomplishments in Tuxedo Park," McFadden said, "including building a presence on social media, reintroducing community-oriented policing and reducing overtime expenses."

Jason Conklin

The mayor also noted that Conklin's brother, Jason Conklin, a Tuxedo Park Police Officer, was killed in a vehicle accident in the line of duty in 1997. His death led to the formation of a new Fraternal Order of Police Lodge, the Jason Conklin Memorial Lodge #957 located in Orange County.

"I believe that this tragedy in part has shaped Dave’s dream to someday become the Chief of Police in Tuxedo Park," McFadden said. "And I believe that becoming our police chief means more to Dave than it does to any other candidate we found. With Dave’s professional experience as a chief and familiarity with our police department he will hit the ground running."