Clarkstown Police Chief Retires After 35 Years Of Service

CLARKSTOWN, NY — The Clarkstown police bid farewell to Chief Ray McCullagh, who retired on Friday.

"When Chief McCullagh took on the responsibility of commanding this department, he reminded us all that leadership is about supporting and empowering people," department officials said on Facebook. "The effort you have put into building a positive and professional relationship between our department and the community we all so proudly serve will last well into the future. We thank you for your service and we hope you enjoy a long-deserved retirement."

McCullagh started in the department as a patrol officer. He worked his way up the ranks, as an investigator, a sergeant for patrol and special operations, a lieutenant and then chief. A graduate of Clarkstown schools, he holds a bachelor's degree from LaSalle University and attended the FBI National Academy.

Jeff Wanamaker will be the interim police chief.

McCullagh was sworn in as chief in October 2017, after a year of controversy over the suspension and firing of the previous chief, Michael Sullivan.

The suspension had to do in part with the Rockland County Strategic Intelligence Unit. According to the Clarkstown Police Department's annual report, the Strategic Intelligence Unit was created in early 2015 by the Town of Clarkstown Police Department and the Rockland County District Attorney's Office as a joint intelligence-based operation.

By 2016, town officials alleged it was also involved in investigating local politics, including surveillance on an African-American community group in Haverstraw, local Black Lives Matter activity, a town justice and the Rockland Sheriff.

The town board sought to discipline Sullivan. A hearing officer concluded Sullivan intentionally did a hard reset on his department-issued cellphone, deleting all its data right after he was suspended over how he had conducted an internal investigation, and while he was a named defendant in pending litigation, one of which had a hold in place. Sullivan also did not prevent Sgt. Stephen Cole-Hatchard, the unit's director, from wiping his cellphone and removing the hard drive from his departmental computer.

Also in 2017, Sullivan ran and lost to incumbent George Hoehmann in the election for Clarkstown Town Supervisor.