Archive: News

Sheriff Peter Meskill announces the retirement of Captain Mark Dresser. Captain Dresser's retirement will be effective April 16, 2008.

Captain Dresser has had a long and distinguished career with the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Robert Howard hired Dresser as a Deputy Sheriff on September 22, 1977. He was promoted to the rank of Criminal Investigator on January 16, 1990. On January 1, 1992 Sheriff Emery Guest promoted Dresser to the position of Senior Criminal Investigator and on November 6, 2003 Sheriff Peter Meskill promoted Dresser to the position of Captain of the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office. In addition to his appointment as a Deputy Sheriff, Dresser served as an explorer scout in the Sheriff's Office explorer program in the early to mid seventies.

During his 30 plus years with the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office Dresser was recognized many different times, by many agencies, for his outstanding law enforcement work. Most notably Dresser has been recognized on four different occasions as the Kiwanis Club Frank G. Hammer Officer of the Month in December of 1991, July 1998 and December 2001 and February 2008.

In addition the group called PARK-IT, a forerunner to the Tompkins County STOP-DWI program, recognized Dresser on December12, 1984 for his dedication and proactive work removing drunk drivers from the roads and highways of Tompkins County. In January of 2004 Sheriff Peter Meskill nominated Dresser for the prestigious New York State Sheriff's Association Institute Carl Draxler award. Dresser was presented the award on January 27, 2004 in Albany. The award is given in the name of the late Carl Draxler, Sheriff of Chemung County, to an employee of the Sheriff's Office whose exceptional career achievements and conscientious devotion to duty have demonstrated a spirit of selfless public service.

Dresser has been involved in many initiatives and new programs throughout his career at the Sheriff's Office including but not limited to, creating and working with the county arson task force, task forces with the United States drug enforcement unit, the FBI task force dealing with child pornography and recently recreated the Tompkins County Crash investigation unit within the Sheriff's Office, insuring the team members are trained in the latest techniques and equipped with the proper modern equipment and technology to better serve the residents of Tompkins County.

Currently Dresser is leading the Sheriff's Office efforts to install TRACS in our vehicles; a software system designed to enhance reporting of motor vehicle accidents and vehicle and traffic tickets.

He is also spearheading the Sheriff's Office efforts with the implementation of the new county radio and communication system, a system designed to promote better response times to calls for service, clear county wide communication abilities which will lead to better service and increased officer safety.

Dresser has devoted his career in law enforcement at the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office to serving all the residents of Tompkins County by putting criminals behind bars, working with victim advocates and various agencies to better insure the needs of crime victims, working to ensure better officer safety, riding our highways of drunk drivers and establishing a sex offender program and web site that is used by other agencies as a model of efficiency and pertinent information.

On the state front Captain Dresser has served on the New York State Sheriff's Association committee working with law enforcement officials across the state to improve the sex offender registry and communication to the public and vulnerable populations.

Dresser worked with Tompkins County Information and Technologies Department to create a sex offender listing and a new Sheriff's Office web site to ensure communication with County residents about the activities and programs that the Sheriff's office is involved with.

Sheriff Peter Meskill said, "Captain Mark Dresser's service and dedication is second to none in the law enforcement field in our region." "Dresser's dedication, professionalism and resolve to solve crimes and serve area residents will be sorely missed. He has dedicated his life to serving the residents of Tompkins County through his law enforcement career with the Sheriff's Office and his experience, expertise and knowledge will be sorely missed." We wish this tireless public servant all the best in his well-deserved retirement.

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