Errol Toulon, Suffolk County's first-ever African-American sheriff and the county's first Democratic sheriff in 40 years, sat down with News 12 Wednesday to speak about how he plans to tackle many problems plaguing the county. 

Toulon, 55, a Lake Grove resident, is in charge of 1,200 employees and two correctional facilities. While he's proud of the distinction as the county's first African-American sheriff, he says he would rather be known simply as the best man for the job. 

"Voters saw who was the most-qualified candidate to walk in on Jan. 1…and really make a change in this office," says Toulon. 

Before being elected back in November, Toulon was a deputy commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction. He says he ran for office because, as a two-time cancer survivor, he rarely backs down from a challenge. 

"I'm here for four years and I'm going to enjoy it and do the best job possible," says Toulon. 

The sheriff says among his top priorities are improving training for jail staff and providing more services for inmates to make for more successful transitions back into society. He also intends for the Sheriff's Office to play a significant role in the fight against gangs and opioids.

"We're looking to assist the police in either solving crimes or stopping crimes from happening," says Toulon. 

Toulon is not a complete stranger to Suffolk County politics. From 2012 until 2014, he was Suffolk's assistant deputy county executive for public safety. He is also quite likely the first Suffolk sheriff to have been a New York Yankees bat boy – a job he did for two years while in high school.