2022 Community Leadership Award Recipient
The Community Leadership Award is presented to an individual who, based on his/her activities, has made fundamental and lasting contributions to human rights and to the advancement of social, economic, and political justice for all people, serving as a model of high moral qualities or ideals, or greatness of character.
On January 1, 2011, Mildred S. Scott was sworn in as the Sheriff of Middlesex County. She is the first female Sheriff for the county of Middlesex and the first African American Sheriff in the State of New Jersey. Mildred Scott is no stranger to the Sheriff’s Department. In 1968, she started off as one of the first females to graduate the county Police Academy to then be sworn in as Sheriff’s Officer, working her way up through the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant and Chief Warrant Officer until she was made Chief Sheriff Officer in 1991, the first female to serve as the highest law enforcement officer in Middlesex County. During her long career at the Sheriff’s Department, she supervised all Sheriff’s Officers, oversaw all courthouse security, instituted fingerprinting programs in schools, established a senior citizen home security program and coordinated prisoner transport services with twenty-five municipalities within Middlesex County.
As Sheriff, Mildred Scott has made significant improvements to the management of the Sheriff’s Office including undertaking the first Accreditation process in the history of the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office. This Process included a thorough analysis and complete overhaul of the previous policies and procedures to bring them into compliance with the best law enforcement practices set forth by the New Jersey State Chiefs of Police Association. On September 31rst through October 1rst 2013 the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office was inspected by the Accreditation assessors and ultimately awarded NJSCOP Accreditation status. Only 10 other Sheriff’s Offices in the state have achieved this prestigious status.
During her term, Sheriff Scott has made substantial changes to the personnel structure of the Sheriff’s Office and has implemented major improvements in technology. Other significant achievements include major advances in the security of the courthouses and satellite offices including upgrades to and installation of additional security cameras; establishment of the Joint Fugitive Task Force in partnership with the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office; addition and training of a narcotics dog; increased training for sworn personnel and administrative staff; and implementation of the first ever Sheriff’s Civilian Academy.
Most notably, Sheriff Scott has hired 26 Sheriff’s Officers that had been laid off from other counties, saving Middlesex County more than $50, 000, and has kept overtime expenses flat for three consecutive years. All of these changes have contributed to a more efficient operation, increased outreach into communities and cost savings to the citizens of Middlesex County.