Administrative Shakeup at Sheriff's Department Creates Second Undersheriff Post

As part of an administrative restructuring at the Rockland County Sheriff's Department, a woman who was the first to hold to title of "chief" in the department has been named to a new internal post and will serve as the department's second undersheriff.

Rockland County Sheriff Louis Falco said Mary Barbera, a 28 year member of the Sheriff’s Department, is now an undersheriff. Barbera was chief of the Civil Division of the department and in January was promoted to chief of the Sheriff's Office.

The change follows the recent appointment of former South Nyack-Grand View Police Chief Robert Van Cura as undersheriff.

Falco said the change is designed to improve the administrative oversight of the New City-based Sheriff's Department, which includes it civil enforcement division, its police patrol division, its communications division and the Rockland County Correctional Facility.

This change of title will take effect without any additional salary costs. Falco said the department previously had one Undersheriff plus two administrative employees managing the organization of personnel, contracts, budget preparation, and grant submissions. In an effort to reduce costs, Falco said the the two management positions have been eliminated.

Falco said that in her new position as Undersheriff, Barbera will assume, in addition to the responsibilities currently assigned to her position, additional administrative duties and operational oversight responsibilities for the Sheriff Department's 370 employees.

Barbera began her career with Rockland County government in 1983, in the Fraud and Fair Hearings Investigation Unit of the Department of Social Services. Her career in the Sheriff’s Department in began in April 1985, when she was appointed to the position of Deputy Sheriff in the Civil Enforcement Division from the first civil service test established for that position. 

She was the first woman to serve in that position.

Barbera was promoted to Senior Deputy in March, 1992, and was then promoted to Chief of the Civil Enforcement Division in February 1996. She is the first woman to hold the title of "Chief" in the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department.

Barbera is a graduate of Pearl River High School, and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Northeastern University, Boston, Ma. She has served on the Executive Boards of the Rockland County Patrolman’s Benevolent Association, Inc., Rockland County Sheriff’s Deputies Association, South Orangetown Sports Booster Club, and currently serves as the Vice President of the Rockland Association of Management.