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Administrative Staff

Sheriff Paul J. Van Blarcum

Sheriff Paul J. Van Blarcum joined the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office in June of 1976.  He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 1987 and has served in every division including patrol, investigations, corrections, security, civil, training, marine, and S.C.U.B.A.  He is a past president of the Ulster County Sheriff's Employees Association and past vice president of the Ulster County Sheriff's Police Benevolent Association.  Sheriff Van Blarcum presided over the opening of the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center in February 2007.   The following month he launched the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT), appointing Undersheriff Frank Faluotico in charge.  During 2008, he initiated the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, which has resulted in regular arrests of online sexual predators.  The Sheriff is a student at Empire State College and has completed numerous law enforcement and corrections training schools and courses.  His background includes a 1998 tour of service for the United Nations International Police Task Force in war-torn Bosnia , where he organized 'Operation Cinderella', a shoe drive that gathered over 17,000 pairs of shoes for the needy people of that country.   That same year he was awarded the Ulster County Police Chief’s Award and the Pride of Ulster County Award.  He is a 2008 graduate of the National Sheriff’s Institute in Colorado and will attend the FBI Academy in 2009.  Having also served on the Onteora School Board and the Shandaken Town Council, Paul is a lifelong resident of Ulster County .

Undersheriff Frank P. Faluotico, Jr.

Undersheriff Faluotico started his law enforcement career as a police officer in the City of Kingston in 1987. He was appointed an Ulster County Deputy Sheriff in 1989. He held this position until 1991, when he was appointed to the position of Detective. In 1997, he was elected PBA President of the Ulster County Deputy Sheriff’s Police Benevolent Association and served in that position for the next decade. He also was elected Vice President of the New York State Union of Police Associations.  In 2002, Frank Faluotico was assigned to serve on a statewide narcotics task force. Working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation while assigned, he worked as an undercover in a country wide narcotics trafficking investigation earning him a Team Work Award for the New York Federal Executive Board. 

In 2007, Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum appointed him to the position of Undersheriff of Ulster County. As Undersheriff, he has statutory authority and responsibility to conduct all business within the purview of the Office of Sheriff.  Undersheriff Faluotico also heads URGENT, the successful multi-agency, county-wide drug and gang task force. 

Undersheriff Faluotico is a graduate of Kingston High School and attended Corning College. He is a certified Police Officer and Police Trainer. His has specialized training and certification in major crime scene investigations, narcotics investigations, snowmobile patrol and safety.  

In his career, Undersheriff Faluotico has received numerous departmental awards and recognitions for other law enforcement agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

He is a recognized consultant of several books and articles. He currently serves on the Ulster County Criminal Justice Council and the Ulster County School to Work Partnership. 

Captain Michael O. Freer

Michael Freer attained the rank of Captain of Police Services in 2007. He first joined the Sheriff’s Office as a Patrol Deputy in 1981, was promoted to Sergeant in 1986 and then to Lieutenant in 2000. A 1975 graduate of New Paltz High School , he holds two degrees in Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science and Master’s, from Marist College and Boston College respectively.  A resident of Ulster County since 1959, he resides in Tillson with his wife Joanne and has four grown children, three daughters and a son.

Corrections Superintendent James R. Hanstein

James R. Hanstein has was appointed by the Sheriff as Corrections Superintendent on August 10, 2009.  His thirty-one years of law enforcement experience include twenty in a supervisory role. Jim began his career with the Sheriff’s Department, rising through the ranks over the course of 11 years to become Detective Sergeant and Detective Lieutenant.  As Detective Lieutenant, he supervised and handled all internal investigations in the Corrections Division. Jim has spent the past 20 years with Federal Bureau of Investigations. His last assignment with the FBI was Supervisor of the Undercover Sensitive Operations Unit (USOU). This unit is responsible for all support logistics for all undercover operations in the Northeast region of the United States. He served as the surveillance coordinator during the Beltway Sniper Case.His resume includes being a member of the FBI New York Office Employee Assistance Program (EAP), serving as a Counselor, an FBI-certified Critical Incident Manager, and experience handling EEO matters during his tenure at the FBI.

Chief Civil Officer Donald W. Ryan

Donald W. Ryan was appointed Chief Civil Officer in 2002 and is responsible for the operation of the Civil Division and Pistol Permit Unit. As such, he oversees the service of legal process, income and property executions, execution of warrants of eviction, seizures, civil arrest warrants and issuance of pistol licenses. He is a certified General Topics Police Instructor, Chemical Agents Instructor, NYS Sheriffs’ Association Instructor and Accreditation Assessor. He also serves as Marshal for the City of Kingston .