About Our Sheriff

For Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter, “Family First” isn’t mere management motto, it’s his way of life.

He isn’t shy about it.

His enthusiasm for Mary, his soft-spoken high school sweetheart and wife of 34 years, is evident as he visibly brightens whenever she enters a room – the only thing brighter – their combined joy for sons Kevin and Zachary. The Baxter boys are their greatest success: Kevin, a geotechnical engineer, husband to Shannon, and father to Cora and Colton; Zach, a first lieutenant serving overseas in the Army after earning his undergraduate degree at Syracuse University.

A close second to his affection for his own family is that for his law enforcement family—both at MCSO and cops at large. Currently in his 37th year in law enforcement, Sheriff Baxter immediately responds when asked why he continues to work: “I love cops!”

As the leader of a 1,200-person public service agency, that same love often requires him to be tough on his people with top-down standards he learned in three years of active duty in the Army as a Military Police Officer and another 19 years in the U.S. Army Reserve, 98th Division. He retired as a Master Sergeant in 2005.

The Sheriff began his civilian law enforcement career with the Rochester Police Department in 1987, serving as a patrol officer for 13 years. Over the next seven years, he was promoted to Sergeant, Lieutenant, and ultimately Captain. He served seven years in the department’s street crimes Tactical Unit and 19 on the SWAT team—two years as its commander. He would ultimately work for three Chiefs of Police as their administrative aide.

In 2010, Baxter became Chief of the Greece Police Department, an agency in turmoil, under investigation, and publicly ostracized for criminal and political corruption. His tough love created public-private initiatives, focused on ethical responsibility and professional development, and ultimately, brought familial healing.

In 2014, Baxter took his family-oriented public service to the private sector and became Executive Director of the Veterans Outreach Center, Inc., the oldest local non-profit that cares for veterans. Promoting the role family wellness plays in an individual's overall success, to this day, the Sheriff is proud to have helped produce financial stability and programs that serve the region's 68,000 veterans and their families.

Elected Monroe County Sheriff in November 2017 by nearly 57% of the vote, Baxter is the 49th Sheriff of Monroe County. He ran unopposed and was re-elected in 2021, pointing to “four intense years of incredible work by the deputies and staff” for the agency’s success.

Today, Sheriff Baxter continues his family focus with educational and life-skills programs for the more than 700 inmates of the Monroe County Jail. On the street, the Sheriff and his deputies promote “Family First” with targeted programs and enforcement for victims and suspects caught up in the current chaos of retail theft, drug and alcohol addiction, and violence.

One of Sheriff Baxter’s proudest initiatives is the Rochester Threat Advisory Committee (ROCTAC). This unique partnership of corporate, educational, social service, mental health, and local and federal law enforcement elements acts on information from citizens who know of someone on the pathway of violence. Formed in 2018, ROCTAC’s approach is threat assessment, intervention, and support.

After the unfortunate mass shooting at the TOPS Friendly Markets supermarket in neighboring Buffalo in 2022, ROCTAC became a national model endorsed by the U.S. Department of Justice and Secret Service for other communities. Three weeks after the shooting, Sheriff Baxter testified before a Congressional Rules subcommittee about ROCTAC and getting illegal guns off the streets.

The Sheriff holds an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Monroe Community College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Management, and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Leadership from Roberts Wesleyan University. He shares his knowledge and experience there as an adjunct professor, continues to train recruits and veteran law enforcement officers, and frequently speaks at regional and national conferences.