Retirement of Police Chief Tom Ruehle and Promotion of Lt Casey Wall

December 24, 2025

Dear Residents:

Chief Tom Ruehle has informed us that he will be retiring in January.  He has been with the Village for 29 years.

Throughout his time as Chief, Tom Ruehle has been an advocate for the well-being of the residents.  He has helped evolve the department in many ways, including leading the implementation of new policy management, log, and dispatch systems, upgrading our license plate reader systems, executing off-shore noise buoys, managing the department through covid, and much more.

As we bid him farewell in this new chapter of his life, we want to express our deepest gratitude for his years of service. While his daily presence will be missed, his impact will remain in the work he’s done and the example he’s set for us all.

We wish him a wonderful retirement from the Village, and we will miss him and all his efforts. (The Chief’s farewell note is below this note.)  

We are delighted to share that current Lieutenant Casey Wall will be promoted to Chief very shortly.  

Soon-to-be-Chief Wall is very humble and would not ordinarily share the following attributes of his--but I will. Wall has a very impressive background:

• served in the US Army Infantry (inspired to join by 9/11) and served in Iraq as a Sgt and Squad Leader, where he received many commendations and medals.

• went on to get his Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs (Dean’s List) from SUNY Empire State College (at Old Westbury).

• scored #1 out of 40,000 applicants on the 2006 police entrance exam.

• went on to score very highly on both the 2016 Sergeants exam and the 2020 Lieutenants exam.

• served with another police department before joining the Sands Point Police in 2011, has worked his way up to Lieutenant in our department, and has received many recognitions and certificates for specialized skills.

• is married, has 2 Daughters, and lives in Suffolk County.

In conclusion, I, along with the Board of Trustees, wish both Chief Ruehle well in his future endeavors and success to Soon-to-be-Chief Wall in his promotion and leading our department.  We and the members of the police department look forward to working with him!

/s/ Peter A. Forman, Mayor

Message from Chief Ruehle on his retirement

Dear Sands Point community,

It is with extreme gratitude that I would like to announce that I will be stepping down around Jan 15th, 2026, after over 29 years of dedicated service.  While I have loved my time here in the Village, after much debate with my family and with ongoing and increasing physical and medical issues, I feel now is the right time to do so.  

While the Mayor and the Board have decided that Lt Casey Wall will be the next Chief, I will be supporting that transition both before and after that handoff.

You will be in outstanding hands and will feel as safe and secure as you felt with me at the helm. I will then officially retire on June 11, 2026 after remaining available to the Village for transition purposes.

Rising through the ranks, starting in 1997, to eventually lead, what is in my opinion, one of the finest and most professional police departments in the country, has been one of the great honors of my life.

I would like to thank all the residents, the Board of Trustees, The Mayor, and past mayors and board members for their support and for granting me the opportunity to serve you.  

Sincerely and respectfully,

Chief Thomas Ruehle