Fred Akshar was sworn into office as a New York State Senator for the 52nd District on November 3, 2015. Fred has dedicated his career to serving and protecting the citizens of the Southern Tier. He ‘s spent 15 years with local law enforcement, 2 years with the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office and 13 with the Broome County Sheriff’s Office. Fred’s law enforcement experience touched on every level of the Sheriff’s Office operations, and provided him with an intimate knowledge of the concerns of the people and communities across the entire region. A graduate of the FBI Academy and Broome Community College, Fred rose rapidly through the Sheriff’s Office ranks, gaining experience and increased responsibility, from conducting dangerous undercover work to stop drug dealers and rapists, to supervising every major criminal investigation as Captain of the Law Enforcement Division, to Undersheriff—second-in-command—where he was responsible for 250 deputies, detectives and other personnel, managing a $33.9 million budget and maintaining the Office’s high professional standards. Fred is a champion for crime victims and for protecting young people from the scourge of dangerous drugs, like heroin. He served as a volunteer member of the Crime Victims Assistance Center Board and the Broome Opioid Abuse Council, where he used his firsthand experience in combating drug trafficking and intervening on behalf of victims of drug addiction to advocate for better education, prevention and treatment for heroin’s victims. As a State Senator, Fred’s priorities are strengthening the Southern Tier economy by helping small businesses succeed and create jobs, battling drug addiction and making our communities safer, as well as fighting for a fair shake from Albany. Fred serves as the Ranking Member on both the Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections and Civil Service and Pensions Committees. He also serves on the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Codes, Disabilities and Labor Committees. Fred lives in Endwell.