First Female East Hampton Town Police Supervisor Is Sworn-in
Recently promoted officers, from left, Sgt. Barry Johnson, Sgt. Chelsea Tierney, and Lt. John Claflin, with Chief Michael
Sarlo at East Hampton Town Hall on May 21. Beth Johnson
With the most recent round of promotions, the East Hampton Town Police Department got its first female supervisor in its history.
Chelsea Tierney, one of seven female officers on the force, became the department’s first female sergeant when she, Sgt. Barry Johnson, and Lt. John B. Claflin were promoted in a ceremony at an East Hampton Town Board meeting last month.
Chief Michael Sarlo described Sergeant Tierney as “a very professional and detailed investigator who has shown great work ethic in following through on patrol cases.” The Suffolk County district attorney’s office got in touch with the department to compliment her investigative work, he said.
“She has been a top-producing officer and has handled many serious cases during her time on patrol,” Chief Sarlo said.
An officer for six and a half years, Sergeant Tierney holds a degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in criminal/forensic psychology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. An East Hampton native, she is a Ross School alumna. She is married to Officer Tim Tierney of the town police.
While a formal police presence in East Hampton Town dates back to 1909, women have been on patrol only since 1985, when the first female police officer joined the force. Tina Giles, the fourth woman hired, was the first to make detective. She retired in 2013 after 27 years on the force.
Of the other officers, Sergeant Johnson is a veteran of the police force and has become one of its most decorated patrol officers over his 17-year career. He is also a leader among the rank and file, as a field training officer, a firearms, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid, and defensive tactics instructor, and a member of the emergency services unit.
“Barry has always been a top-producing officer, earning numerous awards, including several D.W.I. and ‘top cop’ awards, as well as our Police Officer of the Year in 1999. He is a leader amongst the patrol division and a dedicated, professional officer who is committed to the community,” Chief Sarlo said.
Sergeant Johnson, an East Hampton High School graduate, is a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician with the Springs Fire Department. The late Lee Hayes, a well-known East Hampton resident and a Tuskegee Airman, was his grandfather.
Lieutenant Claflin spent about three years as a sergeant before his promotion. He has been a member of the department for 14 years. A Springs resident and East Hampton High School graduate, he is a former Springs fire chief.