Captain of Police
Saugerties Police Department
Saugerties, New York
Captain Stephen W. Filak, Sr.
Stephen W. Filak, Sr. is a CIT instructor, and holds the rank of Captain with the Saugerties Police Department. His law enforcement career spans more than three decades, having just begun his thirty-fourth year of service in January of 2022. He began his career with the Saugerties Police Department in January of 1989, and initially served as a uniform police officer, marine patrol officer, and field training officer. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2001, and served as the midnight shift supervisor from 2001-2011. In September of 2011, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and was promoted again to his current rank of Captain on January 1, 2015. He is a highly decorated officer, having rated numerous award ribbons, commendations and medals over the span of his career. These include the Meritorious Service Award, the Exceptional Duty Medal, the Samaritan Award, Chief’s Presentation Award, Grand Cordon Unit Citations, Outstanding Performance Award (Officer of the Year) and the Police Duty Ribbon, among others.
In the latter part of his career, he found his true calling and passion in teaching, and became a NYS certified law enforcment instructor in 2008. In 2017, he became a Crisis Intervention Team Instructor after taking the CIT course himself and realizing the benefits it offered. He recognized that the principles of CIT are paramount in the day-to-day function of law enforcement, and is one of the lead CIT instructors at the county level. While he recognizes the importance of the entire curriculum, his focus is on officer wellness, and tells the story of his own personal struggles and experiences in an effort to bring awareness and de-stigmatize mental health issues in the law enforcement community. Recently, he has taken on the additional role of instructing Fundamentals of Crisis Intervention at the Ulster County Law Enforcement Academy, and teaches a number of other topics including Procedural Justice, Course in Police Supervision, Field Training Officer, to name a few. He is a member of CIT International, and is constantly looking for ways to innovate the local CIT training program. He believes that the principles of CIT and Procedural Justice are the way forward for law enforcement, especially considering the challenges currently faced by the profession.
Disclosure information not submitted.
Wednesday, April 13, 2022
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
