Deputy Undersheriff Keith L. Taylor

Keith L. Taylor, Ed.D has an extensive background in law enforcement and emergency preparedness. His career encompasses a diverse range of positions, including his service as a retired NYPD Sergeant Special Assignment and NYCD Assistant Commissioner.

Dr. Taylor has specialized expertise in Weapons of Mass Destruction response from his involvement with the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit (SWAT/Heavy Rescue) and his collaboration with the FBI/NYPD WMD Task Force earned him recognition from then FBI Director Robert Mueller for his role in mitigating a nationally significant incident at the United Nations. Dr. Taylor also served as a Planning Team Manager for the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Team New York Task Force 1. He was a 9/11 first responder and supervisor of the NYPD Missing Persons Squad and was inducted to the NYPD Honor Legion for his role in chasing and arresting armed bank robbers during a Bronx bank robbery incident. As the assistant commissioner in charge of the NYCD Intelligence Bureau, Dr. Taylor developed and improved policies, standards, evaluation methodologies, and specialized training programs, fostering effective interagency law enforcement coordination at local, state, and federal levels.

The Suffolk County Sheriff’s appointed Dr. Taylor as Deputy Undersheriff on May 13, 2024. Dr. Taylor will oversee the agency’s Correction Intelligence Center, Office of Management and Planning, Emergency Management Section, Sheriff’s Anti Trafficking Initiative, and will also liaise with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation Task Force. He is the first African American Deputy Undersheriff in the agency’s 341-year history.

Dr. Taylor earned a Bachelor of Science from Howard University, and Master of Arts degrees from both City College of New York and the Naval Postgraduate School. His doctorate in education is from Columbia University’s Teachers College. Dr. Taylor holds certifications as an International Association of Emergency Managers board Certified Emergency Manager and Federal Emergency Management Agency Master Exercise Practitioner, underscoring his commitment to excellence in emergency management. He currently works as an adjunct assistant professor of criminal justice at John Jay College.