Michael Schiff is a life long resident of Sullivan County. He was born April 14, 1952 and is the son of David and Lila Schiff of Liberty, N.Y. Mike and his wife Christine have four children, Reia 17, Lila 14, Dara 9, and David 7. Mike has two sisters, Evelyn Schiff Garchick, and Jacqueline Schiff Parsells. Mike’s father, David Schiff was a Judge in the Village of Liberty and his mother Lila was a prominent teacher in the Liberty School District. His uncle Sydney Schiff was a medical doctor in Liberty and served as Sullivan County Coroner.

Mike attended Liberty public schools and graduated in 1970. He worked for New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG), eventually becoming a lineman.

In 1976 Mike Schiff’s interest in law enforcement led him to take the entrance exam for the New York State Police. He was appointed to the State Police Academy in 1977, and upon his successful graduation, was assigned to the State Police Barracks in Ferndale, N.Y.

Trooper Mike Schiff was activated for his first statewide emergency when Governor Hugh Carey sent the State Police in to secure the state’s prisons during the Corrections strike of 1979.

Later that year, Mike got a glimpse into the future of law enforcement when he received counter-terrorism training in preparation for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. The training, which was new to U.S. police forces at the time, came in the wake of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. Mike was among the first wave of Troopers sent to the Adirondacks to secure the Olympic Village and venues where over one thousand athletes from over 37 different nations would compete.

In 1983, Mike Schiff was accepted to the prestigious State Police Canine program. He became a familiar sight in Sullivan County with his furry partner “Curley”. Trooper Schiff and K-9 Curley were often called in during major criminal investigations. These cases were not just in Sullivan County, but throughout the state. After his assignment to K-9, Mike became a firearms instructor and, as a senior member, assisted in the training of new recruits.

In May 1990, Governor Mario Cuomo ordered State Troopers onto the Akwesasne and Ganiekeh Mohawk Indian Reservations, near the Canadian border, to restore order following incidents involving a homicide and the downing of a National Guard helicopter by gunfire. Mike Schiff was sent with other Troopers from Sullivan County to assist during this emergency.

In 1995, Governor George Pataki sent Troopers into the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City as part of an anti-organized crime initiative. What was supposed to be a thirty day assignment, became a permanent detail. In 2000, Mike Schiff was assigned to this detail and spent the next five years gaining experience in “urban policing”, as well as detecting and preventing organized crime. On September 11, 2001, Mike Schiff was on hand for the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Mike gained valuable experience working with the multitude of State, Federal, and Local agencies that responded. Mike Schiff worked at both Ground Zero and the Javits Center Command Post, which was the main staging area for the United States Government’s rescue and recovery operation.

Mike Schiff retired from the State Police in April of 2005 and was elected Sheriff in November. On January 1, 2006 Michael Schiff was sworn in as the 46th Sheriff of Sullivan County. Mike is a member of the Liberty Elks Lodge #1545, a life member of the NRA, a member of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, a member of the Sullivan County Shields, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #50, New York State Troopers PBA, New York State Sheriff’s Association, and WJFF radio.