Drug addiction on the North Shore and across Suffolk County is a complicated problem, so the police department and the community are coming together to come up with strategies to combat it.
One of the reasons Salvatore Pitti, a retired New York City police officer, left the Big Apple to live on Long Island he said in part was to escape drug-related crime. But in recent years, he has seen what he called an alarming uptick in heroin and opioid-related overdoses and deaths in the suburbs — so he decided to do something about it.
“We need to put the fear of God into our kids about this problem.”
— Salvatore Pitti
“We need to put the fear of God into our kids about this problem,” Pitti said April 11 during a Crime Awareness Committee meeting at Brookhaven Town Hall. “I’ve had the misfortune, in my career, to scoop three or four children off the street, dead. I don’t want to see that.”
Pitti, vice president of the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association and leader of a local neighborhood watch group designed to eliminate local criminal activity, co-sponsored the event along with Brookhaven Town.
Joined by several guest speakers including Supervisor Ed Romaine (R), Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson) and Suffolk County Police Department Commissioner Tim Sini, Pitti spoke with local organization leaders and residents about how they can help make their communities safer.
Sini, who became commissioner last year, has already rolled out several initiatives through the SCPD to address the issues of illegal drug sales, abuse and overdoses as well as prevention and recovery in his short time leading the department.
Many of them rely on police department collaboration with the public.
“I can’t tell you the number of times that information from people in this room or from folks like you have helped us solve crimes,” Sini said, highlighting such programs as the NARC hotline, a partnership with Suffolk County Crime Stoppers, where callers can give crime tips anonymously and receive cash rewards for those that lead to arrests.
Another initiative, Sini said, is the Long Island Heroin Task Force, which targets drug dealers causing overdoses and the areas that have the biggest spikes in overdoses through data collected in the department. Programs are also being implemented in local schools that teach about the consequences of taking drugs, offer prevention and recovery steps, and even train parents and teens on how to administer Narcan, the nasal spray used to reverse heroin overdoses.
“We need to get people off drugs and into treatment for recovery,” Sini said. “Please think of ways the SCPD can partner with you to promote drug prevention in your community.”
Cartright said she understands the importance of a partnership with local law enforcement.
“I can’t tell you the number of times that information from people in this room or from folks like you have helped us solve crimes.”
— Tim Sini
“I grew up in Queens, in an urban community where there was a lot of crime, and there was no interaction with the police department the way we interact with the police department here,” the councilwoman said. “They come in and ask, ‘how can we work with you?’ That’s something, 25 years ago, I didn’t have when I was growing up. This is not a problem we can solve alone.”
Pitti said he started the Crime Awareness Committee three years ago to shine a spotlight on a local marijuana dealer in his neighborhood. Due to his effort and a collaboration with neighbors and the police, the dealer was ultimately pushed off the block.
Even though the group has since grown, he said he wants more community involvement.
“When I first started this, I received a civic email list but, unfortunately, it was antiquated and outdated,” he said. “We’re working together on it, to try and fix it and put more emails in. That, to me, is the first problem. If we can’t call each other, how can we help each other?”
He handed out a packet to attendees of the meeting outlining ways to identify dangerous people in the community. The packet gives details on how to check if houses in a neighborhood have rental permits; report town code violations; deter underage drinking at parties and neighborhood gatherings; and a detailed physical description form to fill out upon witnessing suspicious activity.
The Port Jefferson Chamber has brought together a large number of health and wellness professionals to offer our visitors the latest information for all stages of life including pre-birth, childhood, adulthood and elder years. In addition to exhibitors from traditional medical fields, there will also be specialists in the areas of physical fitness, nutrition and holistic medicine. The exhibitors will focus on prevention, early detection and treatment measures and techniques.
Our tag line this year is still Eat Well, Live Well, emphasizing the fact that we are what we eat! Did you say you liked eating healthy food? Well you will not be disappointed at this year’s Health & Wellness Fest. St. Charles Hospital is sponsoring their “food court” featuring all healthy food. A variety of breakfast and lunch items will be offered including overnight oatmeal, strawberry bars, smoothies, lentil soup and cauliflower pizza with toppings and fresh veggies with dip and hummus. Participants will be able to choose their selection with St. Charles’ Executive Chef Bill Dougherty and their dietitians, nutritionists and staff to assist with questions about healthy eating and diet.
This year at the 8th annual Health & Wellness Fest, attendees will learn the value of the healing powers of animals. We are very pleased to highlight three vendors that specialize in service animals. First, and very exciting, we will have miniature therapy donkeys! These four-legged adorable donkeys have been rescued from circumstances that no one would want to entertain. Their “zen-like” grounded qualities aid in the healing of seniors, children and people with disabilities. Enjoy petting one with their Converse sneakers and discovery these gentle, kind beasts.
The Royal Educational Foundation invites you to participate in the Fourth Annual Power of One Family Fun Run in Port Jefferson on Saturday, April 22. This event is designed to encourage physical activity and is intended to celebrate the positive influence we can have on one another and our community. Port Jefferson High School social studies teacher Jesse Rosen will be honored at the event with the Power of One Award for his significant positive impact on the village and school community. Whether you wish to walk or run, the 2-mile course is open to all ages.
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