In 1992 I transferred to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Law Enforcement (DLE), where I remained for 30 years, starting as a uniformed conservation officer, promoted to investigator, uniform lieutenant (supervising environmental conservation officer), uniformed captain (chief environmental conservation officer), and retiring as the two-star director of law enforcement, overseeing a staff of 300+ officers and civilians, with an annual budget for the Division of Law Enforcement of $30,500,000. Having served in these roles throughout my career with DLE, I have done first-line supervision and administrative and command-level assignments, including four years overseeing our Office of Professional Standards (Internal Affairs).

Meet your 2022 election candidates for Orange County Sheriff

Bernie Rivers retired as the two-star director of law enforcement for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Law Enforcement. He previously served there as a uniformed conservation officer, investigator, uniform lieutenant, and uniformed captain.

Arteta beats Rivers in Orange County Sheriff race - The Chronicle

Officer Bernie Rivers is heard in the recording saying, “Do not open that door because I will shoot that [expletive] dog. Make no mistake about that, so step back down there.”...Rivers ran for Orange County sheriff in 2022 and lost against Paul Arteta.

Town of Goshen police officer under investigation was heard on bodycam video threatening to shoot dog

Bernie previously ran for Orange County sheriff in 2022 but did not win.

Goshen police officer heard on body camera threatening to shoot dog

2026 New York General Election

“My main goal is to continue to build upon Sheriff Carl DuBois’ legacy and continue to bring the Sheriff’s Office into the 21st Century of policing,” said Rivers about what he intends to address. “This includes holding all members of office, regardless of rank, accountable for their decisions, as well as supporting commonsense gun control and police reform and being an advocate for women’s healthcare rights.”

Bernie Rivers is pursuing his dream occupation

Every policy should answer a simple question: does it make residents safer while preserving the professionalism, transparency, and trust a Sheriff’s Office must earn?

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Strengthen communication, education, and partnerships so residents understand available resources and deputies understand the communities they serve.

ACCOUNTABILITY & INTEGRITY

Priorities | Bernie Rivers for Sheriff

RESPONSIBLE TECHNOLOGY

Use tools such as camera systems to improve safety with secure data practices, limited authorized access, oversight, and respect for public trust.

LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY

LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY

Focus personnel, training, and resources on Orange County’s real needs while protecting taxpayers through disciplined, responsible management.

MODERNIZATION WITH GUARDRAILS

Supports gun-control measures and police reform.

Plans to strengthen communication, education, and partnerships so residents know about available resources and deputies understand the communities they serve.

Plans to use camera systems to improve safety through secure data practices, limited authorized access, oversight, and measures to protect public trust.

Plans to focus personnel, training, and resources on Orange County's needs while managing the sheriff's office responsibly for taxpayers.

- Supports gun-control measures and police reform.
- Plans to strengthen communication, education, and partnerships so residents know about available resources and deputies understand the communities they serve.
- Plans to use camera systems to improve safety through secure data practices, limited authorized access, oversight, and measures to protect public trust.
- Plans to focus personnel, training, and resources on Orange County's needs while managing the sheriff's office responsibly for taxpayers.

Public Safety

As of October 22, 2026, Bernie Rivers’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Jail Management

ACCOUNTABILITY & INTEGRITY

Set clear standards, reinforce ethical conduct, improve transparency, and ensure leadership accepts responsibility for agency performance.

RESPONSIBLE TECHNOLOGY

Plans to establish clear standards, reinforce ethical conduct, improve transparency, and hold agency leadership responsible for performance.

- Plans to establish clear standards, reinforce ethical conduct, improve transparency, and hold agency leadership responsible for performance.

Criminal Justice

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Bernie Rivers

- Plans to strengthen communication, education, and partnerships so residents know about available resources and deputies understand the communities they serve.
- Plans to use camera systems to improve safety through secure data practices, limited authorized access, oversight, and measures to protect public trust.
- Plans to focus personnel, training, and resources on Orange County's needs while managing the sheriff's office responsibly for taxpayers.

Bernie Rivers
I am the best qualified person for the office of sheriff in Orange County. My qualifications include a bachelor’s degree from Empire State College, a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, National Academy (FBI-N/A), a prestigious 10-week police leadership training program. I have 40 years of law enforcement experience, including 10 years with the New York State Department of Correctional Services (DOCS), where I served as a uniformed corrections officer and was a member of the department’s Elite Crisis Intervention Unit.

Bernie Rivers earned a bachelor's degree from Empire State College and graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, a 10-week police leadership training program.

DIVISION-LEVEL EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
As the retired Director of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Law Enforcement, Bernie led complex statewide operations and personnel.

Bernie Rivers' Experience

Bernie Rivers
I am the best qualified person for the office of sheriff in Orange County. My qualifications include a bachelor’s degree from Empire State College, a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, National Academy (FBI-N/A), a prestigious 10-week police leadership training program. I have 40 years of law enforcement experience, including 10 years with the New York State Department of Correctional Services (DOCS), where I served as a uniformed corrections officer and was a member of the department’s Elite Crisis Intervention Unit. While working for DOCS, I also worked for various local police departments during these 10 years, doing more traditional law enforcement duties.

Bernie Rivers retired as director of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Law Enforcement. He previously served as a uniformed conservation officer, investigator, uniform lieutenant, and uniformed captain in the division, and as a uniformed corrections officer with the New York State Department of Correctional Services. He also worked for various local police departments.

This year two candidates are running for Orange County Sheriff: Democrat Bernie Rivers and Republican Paul Arteta. Each candidate was asked to submit a statement detailing why voters should choose them on November 8. Their answers are below.

Bernie Rivers

Arteta beats Rivers in Orange County Sheriff raceORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF /| 09 NOV 2022 | 11:18Bernie Rivers 47,764
Paul Arteta 69,807Tags
BERNIE RIVERS
ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF
PAUL ARTETA

Arteta beats Rivers in Orange County Sheriff race

02 / Public Safety Technology
Tools such as Flock cameras must support public safety without sacrificing public trust. Bernie’s approach centers on secure handling of camera data, clear safeguards, responsible access, and transparent oversight.

Bernie Rivers for Orange County Sheriff

MODERNIZATION WITH GUARDRAILS
Technology can help deputies respond faster and investigate more effectively, but new capabilities require written policies, meaningful supervision, data security, and periodic review. Modernization should improve performance without weakening accountability.

Priorities - Bernie Rivers for Orange County Sheriff

03 / Community Protection
Safety for the Public and Those Who Serve
Effective public safety protects residents and public servants alike. Bernie believes strong training, modern standards, accountable leadership, and respectful community partnerships are essential to a Sheriff’s Office people can trust.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Strengthen communication, education, and partnerships so residents understand available resources and deputies understand the communities they serve.

PARTNERSHIP OVER DIVISION
Public safety works best when residents, schools, local governments, first responders, and law-enforcement professionals communicate early and work toward shared outcomes.

LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY
Focus personnel, training, and resources on Orange County’s real needs while protecting taxpayers through disciplined, responsible management.

ACCOUNTABLE LEADERSHIP
Take responsibility for decisions, explain the reasoning behind them, and hold the office to a high professional standard.

Transparency - Bernie Rivers for Orange County Sheriff

PUBLIC INFORMATION
Make important updates easier to understand and access while respecting privacy, due process, and public-safety requirements.

Supports public-safety technology with written policies, data security, oversight, and periodic review.

Believes strong training, modern standards, accountable leadership, and community partnerships are essential to public trust in the Sheriff's Office.

Plans to focus personnel, training, and resources on local public-safety needs while managing the Sheriff's Office responsibly.

Plans to explain agency decisions and make important updates accessible while respecting privacy, due process, and public-safety requirements.

- Supports public-safety technology with written policies, data security, oversight, and periodic review.
- Believes strong training, modern standards, accountable leadership, and community partnerships are essential to public trust in the Sheriff's Office.
- Plans to focus personnel, training, and resources on local public-safety needs while managing the Sheriff's Office responsibly.
- Plans to explain agency decisions and make important updates accessible while respecting privacy, due process, and public-safety requirements.

ACCOUNTABILITY & INTEGRITY
Set clear standards, reinforce ethical conduct, improve transparency, and ensure leadership accepts responsibility for agency performance.

Plans to set clear standards, reinforce ethical conduct, improve transparency, and hold agency leadership responsible for performance.

- Plans to set clear standards, reinforce ethical conduct, improve transparency, and hold agency leadership responsible for performance.

I am the best qualified person for the office of sheriff in Orange County. My qualifications include a bachelor’s degree from Empire State College, a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, National Academy (FBI-N/A), a prestigious 10-week police leadership training program. I have 40 years of law enforcement experience, including 10 years with the New York State Department of Correctional Services (DOCS), where I served as a uniformed corrections officer and was a member of the department’s Elite Crisis Intervention Unit.

Meet Your 2022 Election Candidates for Orange County Sheriff

Mount Hope resident, Bernie Rivers, who carries over 40 years of dedicated law enforcement experience, is vying for the position of Orange County Sheriff this fall. As the first Democrat to run for the position in 18 years, Rivers is excited to build upon the legacy established by Sheriff Carl DuBois, stressing fairness, equality and justice for all, while continuing to lead the Office into the 21st Century of policing.

Bernie Rivers Is Pursuing His Dream Occupation

As the first Democrat to run in Orange County for the position of Sheriff in 18 years, Rivers is well aware the path to victory won’t be without its challenges. However, having been a loyal, honest, fair and selfless public servant-carrying both traditional law enforcement and correctional experience- to the Orange County Community and New York State since 1981, Rivers, one of the Founding Fathers of the NYS Police Benevolent Association (PBA), a committed union supporter and past Union President for Town of Wallkill PBA, and former fire department and ambulance corp volunteer, is confident of his abilities to get the job done well, while being respectful of the existing framework.

Bernie Rivers earned a bachelor's degree from Empire State College. He lives in Mount Hope and previously volunteered with a fire department and ambulance corps.

Bernie Rivers is Pursuing his Dream Occupation

So, what did the 2021 retired Rivers, who currently was holding the position of a 2 Star Director of Law Enforcement with the Department of Environmental Conservation, decide to do before his official quest to become Sheriff?

“I purposely took a patrol officer’s position- something I had not done in a long time- in the Town of Goshen,” said Rivers. “I did this so I could really see how things were working now with all of the changes from a patrol level as opposed to a much more removed command one.”

My qualifications include a bachelor’s degree from Empire State College, a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, National Academy (FBI-N/A), a prestigious 10-week police leadership training program. I have 40 years of law enforcement experience, including 10 years with the New York State Department of Correctional Services (DOCS), where I served as a uniformed corrections officer and was a member of the department’s Elite Crisis Intervention Unit. While working for DOCS, I also worked for various local police departments during these 10 years, doing more traditional law enforcement duties.

Bernie Rivers worked as a patrol officer in the Town of Goshen. He previously retired from his position as the two-star director of law enforcement for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Division of Law Enforcement and served as a uniformed corrections officer for the New York State Department of Correctional Services.

Arteta Beats Rivers in Orange County Sheriff Race

Bernie previously ran for Orange County sheriff in 2022 but was not elected.

Priorities

MODERNIZATION WITH GUARDRAILS

Technology can help deputies respond faster and investigate more effectively, but new capabilities require written policies, meaningful supervision, data security, and periodic review. Modernization should improve performance without weakening accountability.

02 / Public Safety Technology

SECURITY WITH ACCOUNTABILITY

Tools such as Flock cameras must support public safety without sacrificing public trust. Bernie’s approach centers on secure handling of camera data, clear safeguards, responsible access, and transparent oversight.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Strengthen communication, education, and partnerships so residents understand available resources and deputies understand the communities they serve.

ACCOUNTABILITY & INTEGRITY

PARTNERSHIP OVER DIVISION

Public safety works best when residents, schools, local governments, first responders, and law-enforcement professionals communicate early and work toward shared outcomes.

READY TO HELP BUILD A SAFER ORANGE COUNTY?

OPEN COMMUNICATION

Communicate clearly and consistently with residents about matters affecting public safety and the Sheriff’s Office.

Transparency

PUBLIC INFORMATION

Make important updates easier to understand and access while respecting privacy, due process, and public-safety requirements.

Plans to use camera systems with secure data practices, limited access, oversight, and written policies.

Plans to focus personnel, training, and resources on meeting Orange County’s public-safety needs while managing funds responsibly.

Plans to strengthen communication, education, and partnerships among residents, schools, local governments, first responders, and law-enforcement professionals.

Plans to communicate public-safety updates clearly and make information easier to access while respecting privacy and due process.

- Plans to use camera systems with secure data practices, limited access, oversight, and written policies.
- Plans to focus personnel, training, and resources on meeting Orange County’s public-safety needs while managing funds responsibly.
- Plans to strengthen communication, education, and partnerships among residents, schools, local governments, first responders, and law-enforcement professionals.
- Plans to communicate public-safety updates clearly and make information easier to access while respecting privacy and due process.

ACCOUNTABLE LEADERSHIP

Take responsibility for decisions, explain the reasoning behind them, and hold the office to a high professional standard.

Supports gun control and police reform, and calls for accountability for all Sheriff’s Office members regardless of rank.

Calls for clear standards, ethical conduct, transparency, and leadership accountability in the Sheriff’s Office.

- Calls for clear standards, ethical conduct, transparency, and leadership accountability in the Sheriff’s Office.