Stuart Barksdale - Sergeant-at-Arms
Retired Detective Stuart Barksdale was born and raised in the City of Yonkers, New York. He attended school in Yonkers and graduated from Yonkers High School in 1972. After high school, Stuart pursued his fascination with cars and started his first job as an auto mechanic at a Chrysler Plymouth dealership in Yonkers. In 1977 he left Chrysler and was hired by the city of Yonkers as an auto mechanic assigned to fix vehicles for the Department of Public Works.
Stuart had a passion for helping others. Throughout his young years, Stuart offered his services to many organizations including the Salvation Army of Yonkers NY. Determined to continue his role as a public servant, Stuart volunteered and joined the Yonkers Auxiliary Police Association.
In January of 1982 Stuart began a paid career in law enforcement working as a New York City Transit Police Officer. After 3 years of working underground riding the A and D trains from end-to-end, Stuart decided to make a change. In 1985 Stuart transferred to the Yonkers Police Department. Stuart received numerous detail assignments during his years in law enforcement for the City of Yonkers. He was detailed to the Street Crime Unit and the Narcotics Unit as an undercover officer. He was on loan to other police departments for the purpose of buying drugs so that Sealed Indictments could be secured on drug dealers.
In 1996 Stuart was promoted to the Detective Division where he served 15 years before retiring in 2011. Stuart completed a total of 30 years as a police officer and received numerous awards and certificates for excellent police work. Stuart has a long list of community organizations to which he has volunteered his services and are listed as follows:
• He is a member and past president of the Yonkers Guardians Association.
• He currently is and has been a volunteer Fire Fighter and EMT for the past 23 years in Elmsford NY where he now resides.
• He is a level 2 Arson Investigator and has investigated many fires during his role as a Detective for the City of Yonkers.
• He is a trained mediator for the Westchester County Mediation Center of Cluster where he plays an active role in the Restorative Justice Initiative Program speaking with Juveniles that get arrested for various crimes.
• He plays an active role in the Anti Violence/Gang Coalition a group dedicated to working with young people to stop violent behavior.
• He is also a Martial Arts Instructor in the Art of Chinese Kenpo where is holds a black belt.
• He is a member of Terrace City Lodge #1499 Protective Order of Elks of the world in Yonkers and The Yonkers Branch of The NAACP.
• Stuart currently works for the NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
Stuart and his loving wife Linda have been married for 35 years and have four children: Stuart Jr., 42, who is presently a Yonkers Police Detective; Eboni, 35; William, 31; and Stefan, 26.
