Incoming Putnam Top Cop Selects Undersheriff
Within a week of his victory for the office of Putnam County Sheriff, Robert Langley announced his undersheriff last Tuesday.
Former sheriff’s investigator Michael Corrigan, of Carmel, was named Langley’s second-in-command as the sheriff-elect continues his transition before he takes office on Jan 1. Corrigan worked for the sheriff ’s office for 21 years, including 18 as a criminal investigator and is a harsh critic of current Sheriff Don Smith.
Langley, running on the Democratic ticket, defeated Smith, a Republican, earlier this month by a slim margin to pull off an historic win. Smith, a former brigadier general, has served for 16 years.
Overall, Corrigan has 34 years of law enforcement experience. He has worked for the Village of Cold Spring Police Department and most recently the Town of New Fairfield, Ct. police force. He also worked for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection Police. He is a 1995 graduate of the 183rd session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia and one of the 28 past and present members of the sheriff ’s department to be a graduate.
Currently, the undersheriff is Paul Boscia, a main stay in the sheriff’s department who is expected to retire once Smith leaves office. He came out of retirement to fill the position after longtime undersheriff Peter Convery died in 2016.
Corrigan said he was “honored and flattered” Langley selected him to be undersheriff. The two former investigators became familiar with each other when they were both in the sheriff ’s department, dating back to the 1990s. Corrigan said he’s always known Langley to be “an honest, straight shooter.”
Corrigan said he retired from the sheriff ’s office in 2006.
Corrigan said he shares Langley’s vision of placing integrity in the sheriff ’s office, stressing that wasn’t just a campaign slogan, but a promise to county residents.
“We want the people of Putnam County to know they’re going to get a fair shake, an honest shake when they have to deal with a deputy or an investigator or anything,” Corrigan said.
Corrigan was critical of Sheriff Smith during the campaign, writing letters to the editor in various newspapers that accused Smith of inappropriate use of his office. He said Smith “tarnished” the reputation of the Putnam sheriff ’s office.
Smith faced blowback after he admitted he provided the public untruths about former district attorney Adam Levy in 2013 pertaining to a past rape investigation. Levy sued Smith the same year for defamation and the county settled this past June with taxpayers funding a $125,000 payout. Smith also chipped in $25,000.
Corrigan said he and Langley would lead by example for the rest of the sheriff department’s personnel. He stressed, “I have no tolerance for corruption.”
“We’re certainly not going to use the office of sheriff for vindictive, retaliatory purposes,” Corrigan said. “Honesty and integrity is returning to the sheriff’s office.”
Langley, in a press release, had high praise for Corrigan, describing him as a thorough, meticulous law enforcement officer.
“Mike’s priority has always been to serve the community,” Langley stated. “He commands respect among rank and file, and will bring excellence to our officer training programs. Like me, Mike will hold our deputies to a high standard of performance, and with me he will return integrity to the department.”
