Desmond Patrick Stokes is one of three boys born in New York City to immigrant parents, Michael Stokes from Killawalla, County Mayo, and Victoria (nee Bühler) from Bazenheid, Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Des grew up in the Yorkville section of the Upper East Side and attended St. Joseph’s School of Yorkville, and graduated from La Salle Academy in 1982. Des joined the New York City Police Department in 1985 and worked for 10 years as a police officer in the 28th Precinct and the Narcotics Division at the Organized Crime Control Bureau. In 1995, he was promoted to the rank of detective. Since his promotion, Desmond has been a member of the elite Ballistics Squad where he worked his way up to Detective 1st Grade, the highest rank of detective. Desmond is currently the president of the NYPD Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island Holy Name Society, the oldest religious organization in the NYPD. He is a member of the Anchor Club which assists the widows and orphans of deceased members of service. Des has been a member of the Knights of Columbus George W. Hudson Council in Woodside for 19 years, and a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Glee Club since 2004 where he was president from 2010 to 2012.

He is a communicant of St. Kevin Parish in Flushing, Queens where he resides with his wife of 27 years Kelly (nee Brady) from Sunnyside, Queens, and his son Daniel Patrick and daughter Delaney Marie