Sheriff Thomas A. Beilein entered police work in 1969, when he was hired by then Sheriff James K. Murphy of Niagara County. At 22 years of age, Sheriff Beilein had just completed a tour of duty in Vietnam and realized a longtime dream of becoming a Deputy Sheriff. He was assigned to Road Patrol until 1976, when he was transferred to the Niagara County Drug Task Force. He worked there until being reassigned to the Criminal Investigation Bureau in 1984. Sheriff Beilein was promoted to Senior Investigator in 1986 and then to Chief Investigator in 1988. In 1990, he was again promoted, this time to Inspector, with responsibilities including the Criminal Bureau, the Welfare Fraud Bureau, Juvenile Aid and the Drug Task Force. In 1993, he was elected Sheriff. He currently serves as Third-Vice President for the New York State Sheriffs’ Association. Sheriff Beilein is married and is the father of four children and the grandfather of six. In 2000, he was recognized by Leadership Niagara as the “Leader of the Year.”
Niagara County has a population of 227,101 and an area of 270 square miles.