Terry O'Neill is an Albany, New York-based public affairs consultant and freelance writer who focuses on public safety issues. He is the son of a Connecticut State Trooper, the grandnephew of Irish immigrants who served municipal police agencies in Connecticut and the great-grandson of Constable William Stephens of Stradbally, County Waterford, who retired from the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1903.

Mr. O'Neill is a graduate of Marianapolis Preparatory School of Thompson, Connecticut, where he concentrated on Classical Studies. He studied Western Civilization at Providence College, earned a Bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Connecticut and read Law at Albany Law School.

Mr. O'Neill is a Vietnam Era veteran of the U.S. Navy and takes pride in a family tradition of US military service that began with his grandfather Daniel O'Neill, a WW I veteran of the 69th New York Regiment -- the Fighting Irish -- his father Joseph (USN) and two uncles James (US Army Air Corps) and Daniel (USA) served with great distinction in World War II.   James, a crack aircraft mechanic, kept sixty warplanes flying over Nazi forces and after the war kept planes flying in a historic airlift of Jewish refugees to Palestine.

In over twenty years in public affairs in Albany, Mr. O'Neill has specialized in the legislative process and in issues affecting public safety, drug policy, crime prevention, restorative justice, judicial reform and law enforcement administration. His involvement in a number of major police organizations and in campaigns for legislative initiatives targeting organized crime, drug trafficking and community crime prevention have enabled him to develop a far-flung network of contacts in law enforcement and academia.

In 1986, Mr. O'Neill joined the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services as a legal advisor to the state's municipal police executives.  From 1988 through 1994, he was frequently consulted by the Governor’s office on law enforcement and crime prevention issues. He was involved in drafting and negotiating major legislative enactments improving police administration and enhancing the statutory framework for waging the war on drugs and violent crime.

Mr. O'Neill's work and his interest in promoting community justice also took him into the field. In 1990-92, he represented the State Director of Criminal Justice in responding to communal violence that broke out on the St. Regis Mohawk Indian Reservation. At the same time, he served on a state negotiating team that led to state/tribal gaming compacts that have brought unprecedented prosperity to the Oneida and Mohawk Indian nations.

In 1993, Mr. O'Neill introduced Triad , a nationally recognized program of enhanced police service to the elderly -- to New York. There are now Triads in more than half of New York's sixty-two counties. He also drafted legislation, signed into law in 1998, that has begun the process of developing a police specialty known as Elder Service Officers.

Mr. O'Neill has, over the years, served pro bono as Counsel to a variety of community service nonprofits including the Mid-Hudson Crime Prevention Association, the Capital District Coalition for Crime Victims' Rights, the Russian-American Kids’ Circus, Lydia's House, Inc., House of Forgiveness, Inc. and Millenium Reign, a faith-based organization that educates inner-city young people about the dangers of HIV/AIDS.

Mr. O'Neill is an advocate for children and in 1990 worked on legislation creating a training program for police Juvenile Officers. In 1994 he suggested legislation that created a fund to enhance public education and prevention programs to combat child abduction and exploitation. Subsequent amendments to that law have resulted in a revenue stream of $1 million a year for this fund.  

In 1999, Mr. O'Neill helped Doug and Mary Lyall, parents of Suzanne Lyall, a State University of New York student who disappeared in March 1998, win passage and enactment of the College Campus Security Act.

Mr. O'Neill prides himdelf on being, as former State Police Superintendent Tom Constantine has put it: "A loyal and good friend to the State Police."  He was responsible for legislation authorizing a payroll deduction option for members and employees of the New York State Police to support the work of the Trooper Foundation -- State of New York, Inc. adding more than $100,000 a year to fund a disaster relief program for State Police families.

Mr. O'Neill joined a group of retired Troopers in the 1993 campaign to create a privately-funded monument -- the Gray Rider -- to members of the New York State Police. In 1998, he helped retired and disabled New York State Trooper Paul A. Richter get a law enacted that has raised tens of millions of dollars to fund research to find a cure for spinal cord injury paralysis.

Mr. O'Neill has long been writing verses and stories celebrating members of New York's law enforcement community and chronicling their heroic struggle against violence and intolerance. His work has appeared in police publications and on web sites throughout the country and overseas. He is the author of a book of children's verses with a message of respect for law and law enforcement officers called Constantine's Circus.

Mr. O'Neill is a prolific composer of music for the Highland bagpipe. His signature tune "Thomas A. Constantine" was published in the British Isles in 1996 by the Irish Pipe Band Association. 

In recent years, Mr. O'Neill ventured into the academic world, having had the privilege of being associated with the Distance Learning Center of Empire State College, a subsidiary of the State University of New York, that serves many criminal justice professionals who are not able to attend full-time colleges. He developed and taught a variety of basic criminal justice and social studies courses.

As of November 8, 2007, Mr. O'Neill has declared himself an independent candidate for election to represent New York's 104th Assembly District, in which office he pledges to continue his work to advance the professionalism of public safety services, protect children and the elderly, combat transnational organized crime and terrorism, advance the prestige of the institutions of research and higher learning for which the Capital District is renowned and look out for the well-being of our military veterans and their families.