Suffolk County officials gathered in Yaphank to honor Undersheriff Steven Kuehhas as he marked his retirement after four decades of public service.
The ceremonial walkout, hosted by Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, drew friends, family members and colleagues spanning Kuehhas’ long career in law enforcement.
Among those in attendance were County Executive Ed Romaine, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina, representatives from the District Attorney’s Office, local legislators and members of multiple law enforcement agencies.
“For nearly four decades, Undersheriff Steven Kuehhas has dedicated his life to public service and the residents of Suffolk County are better because of it,” Toulon said during the ceremony. He credited Kuehhas’ “integrity, experience, and steady leadership” as key assets to the Sheriff’s Office over the past decade, adding that while he will be missed, the department wishes him a “happy, healthy, and well-deserved retirement.”
Kuehhas, the son of a Suffolk County correction officer, began his career in 1986 when he joined the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. As a prosecutor, he handled numerous serious felony cases, including violent assaults, robberies, rapes, vehicular manslaughters and public corruption matters.
In 1996, he was appointed East End Bureau Chief, a role he held for two decades. In that position, he oversaw prosecutions across Suffolk County’s five eastern towns and villages, working closely with state and local police agencies.
After 30 years with the District Attorney’s Office, Kuehhas transitioned to the Sheriff’s Office in July 2016, serving as Undersheriff under then-Sheriff Vincent DeMarco and continuing under Sheriff Toulon.
In that role, he oversaw operations for professional staff, Corrections personnel and Deputy Sheriffs, helping guide the office through nearly a decade of change and growth.