Tuesday, 13 July 2010 14:35
July 13, 2010
County Executive Notes Enhanced Presence in Community has been Maintained Since 2009; Will Take Further Steps to Focus on Violent and Rowdy Acts
Hauppauge, NY – After meeting this morning with Huntington School officials and police leaders, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy today said a specialized unit in Huntington Station on Friday and Saturday evenings will focus on rowdy parties and on areas where large numbers are congregating.
The Second Precinct unit, developed with County Legislators Lou D’Amaro and Steven Stern, will monitor popular “social media” sites, such as Facebook, and will seek information from the community as well about locations and dates of upcoming gatherings. Resources will be able to be deployed from the county’s Special Operations, STOP-DWI, CRU and other specialized units to target these areas where parties and gatherings are taking place.
Levy said that while an enhanced presence has been in place in the community since 2009 – when an action plan was implemented using Special Operations, Gun/Gang and foot patrol resources, as well as surveillance cameras and an officers’ relief point situated at a local school – input and concern from the community has led to the creation of the Friday/Saturday team.
The county executive and officials of the department met this morning with Huntington Superintendent John J. Finello, Board of Education President William Dwyer and Roger Smith, who is facilitating the school’s space planning.
Levy stressed to them, and to community leader Dee Thompson in a phone call afterwards, that despite recent high-profile incidents in the community, the enhanced presence implemented in the second half of 2009 has made a difference in the community in reducing the number of aggravated assaults in the community by 25% in 2010, compared to the same period in 2009. He also cited a long-term, cooperative investigation with the FBI this spring that led to the arrest of ten high-ranking members of the Latin Kings gang from Huntington Station.
“We have maintained our presence in Huntington Station, and in the entire Second Precinct,” noted Levy, who said the number of officers in sector patrol in the precinct today (164) is 11 more than when he took office in 2004. “Nonetheless, we will continue to deploy specialized units in order to assure people in the community that they will be safe on their streets, at their schools and in their homes.”
The county executive also said yesterday he and Police Commissioner Richard Dormer have begun the canvassing and processing for another class of 70-80 police recruits – which would be the second class of officers this year – to begin in November.
“With the savings we can generate through the early retirement program adopted last week – and assuming the Legislature approves the sale of our skilled nursing facility in August – I believe we can realize a second class of officers this year.”
“When this second class is added to the first recruit class of 70, which started two weeks ago, and the 50 positions we are civilianizing, the net effect in 2011 will be an influx of nearly 200 officers to our patrol ranks,” said Levy.
Noting that the canvassing and screening process for a class takes several months for the department to complete, Levy said he ordered the process to begin now as “a good faith effort, so that we can be ready to begin the class in November or December if everything else falls into place.”
“Public safety is and will always be my top priority,” said Legislator Steven Stern. “During these challenging times, difficult choices must be made and we are facing some difficult choices. However, an additional police class this year will provide necessary police protection for our communities as quickly as possible.”
“I’m pleased to learn that we are moving closer to hiring even more police,” said Legislator Lou D’Amaro. “I am happy to work with the County Executive so that we can put savings in place that allow us to fund additional police that will help us fight against gangs and crime throughout Suffolk.”
