Tioga County Sheriff Badge New York State Law Enforcement Accredited

103 Corporate Drive, Owego, New York 13827 (607) 687-1010  Google Directions Directions

Tioga County Sheriff's Office


Tioga County is located in southwest New York State, directly in between the cities of Elmira to the west, Ithaca to the north, and Binghamton to the east.  It lies on the border of Pennsylvania, with the Susquehanna River flowing through the entire southern portion of the county.   The county is considered part of the Southern Tier region of New York State.  As of the 2010 census, the county is 523 square miles with a population of 51,125.

Empowered by the NYS Constitution and NYS Law, the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office is the primary Public Safety organization for Tioga County.  The Sheriff is an elected official with a four-year term of office.  The office is statutorily responsible for maintaining a County Jail; a Civil Office; Serve as Conservator of the Peace, and; Serve as an Officer of the Courts.  James McMaster was the first elected Tioga County Sheriff in 1791, and Sheriff Gary Howard is currently serving in his sixth term as Tioga County’s 63rd Sheriff.

The Office of the Sheriff in Tioga County consists of seven main operating Divisions, the Road Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Corrections, Civil Office, E911 Emergency Communications Center, Records, and Administration.  Currently there are 101 Full Time and 20 Part Time personnel authorized, inclusive of 101 sworn officers and 20 Civilians. 

Each division of the Sheriff’s Office has been awarded and remains Accredited through officially recognized accrediting agencies.