Uncrowned Community Builders

Until 2010 H. McCarthy Gipson was Commissioner of the Buffalo Police Department, consisting of 757 sworn members, serving a population of approximately 280,000. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School and began his law enforcement career with the Buffalo Police Department in 1971. During his 27 year career with the Buffalo Police Department, he rose through the ranks, ultimately retiring from the Department as Police Captain in 1998.

Upon his retirement from the Buffalo Police Department, Commissioner Gipson embarked on a career with the Erie County Sheriff's Office as Superintendent of the Erie County Holding Center, where he directed all of its operations. In 2001 he became Superintendent of the Jail Management Division, overseeing both the Holding Center and the Erie County Correctional Facility until 2005, at which time he transferred to the Erie County Sheriff's Court Division as Chief. As Chief of the Court Division, he was responsible for the management of the Court Security Contract between Erie County and the New York State Office of Court Administration.

Commissioner Gipson was an Adjunct Faculty member at Buffalo State College and Hilbert College, instructing courses in corrections and other areas of criminal justice. He was also an instructor of the Youth Character Development Foundation for the Dale Carnegie Training Institute

Commissioner Gipson is a member of NOBLE, the NAACP (Life Member), Leadership Buffalo (Alumni), the American Jail Association, the Erie County Judges and Police Conference, the Erie County Badge and Shield Club, the American Corrections Association, and he is a Director with the 100 Club of Buffalo.

Commissioner Gipson serves on the Boards of the American Jail Association, Hospice and Palliative Care, and Hilbert College Institute for Law and Justice.