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David Regina

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Sideshows, also known as street takeovers, are an increasingly pervasive crime phenomenon within Suffolk County and a critical public safety risk.

A sideshow is an informal and illegal public demonstration involving automotive stunts, often at vacant lots or public intersections. These gatherings usually are among young men, who illicitly schedule and promote these activities through social media.

During a recent community meeting at Hauppauge’s main firehouse, Suffolk County Police Department 4th Precinct Inspector David Regina shared alarming footage of recent nighttime gatherings and dangerous auto races at Hauppauge Industrial Park.

While sideshows may be afflicting Hauppauge and its surrounding communities for now, Regina noted that this trend is gaining traction regionally and nationally.

Here on Long Island, our roadways are dangerous enough as is. Just a week ago, Regina told the Smithtown Town Board that motor vehicle crashes of practically every variety were up within the 4th Precinct. We don’t need to add another safety hazard to our roadways, especially one as preventable as street racing.

Like many fads, our laws and criminal penalties have not yet caught up with this crime phenomenon. Officers alerted to these sideshows are often hamstrung, requiring two signed affidavits from separate business owners before initiating enforcement measures.

Suffolk County Legislators Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) and Steven Flotteron (R-Brightwaters) are currently exploring changes to county law that would close this loophole.

We advise each incumbent and prospective county legislator within our coverage area to take this matter seriously. There are plenty of vacant lots throughout the North Shore, and this issue could soon be heading to our own backyards.

To those who may report a sideshow event, remember to stay out of the line of harm. These are raucous, dangerous gatherings. They should be handled by experienced law enforcement professionals, not private citizens.

We do sympathize with the young and adventurous auto racers who may wish for an outlet for their natural inclinations and energies. So often, our society shames and punishes this demographic without considering root causes or potential solutions.

If these young men seek the thrill of auto racing, then we should make alternative means available to them. The East End, for example, has long offered sanctioned auto racing at the Riverhead Raceway, located on Old Country Road near Tanger Outlets in Riverhead. This quarter-mile oval track is the only one of its kind on Long Island, providing sanctioned auto racing to local residents.

A similar venue in western Suffolk could provide the necessary outlet for the beleaguered racers among us while promoting public safety. We ask our county officials to explore such an alternative, perhaps siting the raceway at an existing county property.

Still, public awareness of this issue is crucial. If you see or hear of an illegal sideshow event, please notify SCPD immediately. And remember always to be vigilant when getting behind the wheel.

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Footage of sideshow participants jumping on police vehicles near the intersection of Ocean Avenue and the Long Island Expressway on Oct. 28, 2022. Photo courtesy Suffolk County Police Department

By Emma Gutmann

Concerned community members joined representatives of the Suffolk County Police Department at Hauppauge’s main firehouse at 855 Wheeler Road on Thursday, Sept. 28, discussing the local impacts of street racing, sideshows and raucous partying at the Hauppauge Industrial Park.

David Regina, SCPD 4th Precinct inspector, presented numerous social media clips of the conditions caused by these sideshow events. Footage included 100-yard radius donuts, handcuffed drag racers fleeing from officers and men jumping on police vehicles.

Regina’s report also included statistics of tickets and arrests for reckless driving and 911 vehicle/noise complaints in the industrial park over the past two years.

Although two notable occurrences this September at HIP prompted the meeting, Regina said that this has been an issue across Long Island and even nationwide. He claimed the sideshows and large-scale music gatherings cropped up in February 2022, while others in the audience insisted that these disturbances have been going on even longer.

An attendee from Dix Hills said she has been enduring continuous unrest since her high schoolers were young children in 2015. She lives 2 miles from the Deer Park train station, where deafening parties occur every Friday and Sunday until midnight.

As the second largest industrial park in the country, open all night with no security cameras, HIP is also an easy target for sideshows. The perpetrators — typically males ages 18 to 25 — have been able to thwart police by posting coded alerts on social media, which warn the group to move to a predetermined backup location.

To initiate enforcement, Regina said officers must convince two business owners to fill out extensive paperwork in the middle of the night to sign an affidavit. Since the industrial park is not fenced in, residents and police officers at the scene cannot accomplish anything on their own.

Suffolk County Legislator Steven Flotteron (R-Brightwaters), who attended the meeting, assured residents that he is exploring potential changes to the law to avoid such loopholes.

“You need two residents to sign an affidavit,” he said. “In some cases, the people having the party might be in a gang, and neighbors do not want to sign an affidavit. How do we ever get it stopped?”

Flotteron added, “Before, we needed two people here to sign an affidavit, and the police officer couldn’t do anything. Now, it could be a police officer or a peace officer that can write the noise complaint.”

The community meeting became heated as community members began asking questions, sharing their experiences and offering suggestions to help. Given this crime phenomenon’s severity and ongoing nature, a fissure has developed between residents and law enforcement since the sideshows started.

Several attendees mentioned that they are told to call 911 when events break out but are made to feel dramatic and unimportant when they do. Citizens questioned how police have been unable to discover and break up such rowdy gatherings before they become townwide headaches. 

Suffolk County Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) advised those who report these sideshows to avoid putting themselves at risk and stay out of the line of harm.

911 operators “are not supposed to ask you to go find the place,” she said. “None of you should be putting yourself in a situation where you could be killed.”

Members of the audience agreed that the police department often does not have the resources to deal with these outbreaks, but that they would like to help them remedy that. With more resources and more effective laws and penalties, officers will not be so easily overpowered and endangered, restoring order to a dangerous situation locally.

Flotteron and Kennedy closed the discussion by promising to speak to state representatives and other officials in the morning to bring greater awareness to this issue, put legislative changes in motion and propose the crowd’s idea of adding cameras to the industrial park.

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Suffolk County Police Department 4th Precinct Inspector David Regina updates the Smithtown Town Board on local crime trends during a public meeting Thursday, Sept. 21, at Town Hall. Photo by Raymond Janis

By Raymond Janis

The Smithtown Town Board convened Thursday afternoon, Sept. 21, for a public meeting covering public safety, walkability and downtown revitalization.

Public safety

Suffolk County Police Department 4th Precinct Inspector David Regina delivered the department’s public safety report, alerting the community to ongoing crime trends.

Following a stabbing at Millers Pond in Smithtown [see story, “Man stabbed at Millers Pond in Smithtown,” Aug. 26, TBR News Media], Regina said the victim was transported to a local hospital and has survived his injuries.

“This is an assault that is out of the ordinary for that area,” he said. “I do feel confident in saying that I don’t feel that this is a threat to the area of that community.”

Regina referred to 2023 as “a rough year in the 4th Precinct for fatal motor vehicle crashes,” which he said have “run the gamut between pedestrian, standard motor vehicle crashes, motorcycle crashes, bicycle crashes” and accidents involving scooters.

Reporting on a recent fatal accident on Harned Road in Commack involving the death of Ilona Kaydanov, a 22-year-old pedestrian [see story, “Jogger killed in Commack crash, two others injured,” Aug. 31, TBR News Media], Regina said the 4th Squad had investigated the accident, noting, “There does not appear to be any criminality involved.”

The inspector stressed the need for pedestrians to cross roadways at crosswalks, adding that “pedestrians under New York State law are required to walk or jog against the flow of traffic.”

Purse theft — a local crime phenomenon often involving the theft of one’s credit cards at retail spaces — remains pervasive within the 4th Precinct, Regina said. [See story, “Shopping spree: Thieves targeting handbags, wallets at Suffolk County retail stores,” Aug. 24, TBR News Media.]

He reported that this theft crime variety has occurred primarily around the Smith Haven Mall, advising shoppers to “secure your things securely.”

He noted that multiple incidents have included a co-conspirator, with one criminal creating a diversion while another robs an unsuspecting victim’s shopping cart.

SCPD “were able to identify one suspect, and I’m happy to say we cleared three of those cases last week, and we were able to charge that gentleman with several counts of criminal possession of stolen property,” Regina reported.

Sideshows and street races remain an ongoing crime phenomenon countywide. Regina reported a recent sideshow gathering of 250 cars at the Walmart parking lot on Garet Place in Commack.

“These get very raucous,” he said. “They were throwing fireworks in the direction of the police officers who were responding. These are officer safety concerns for us.”

While the department has moderately succeeded in dispersing some of these sideshow events, the inspector suggested the matter is unresolved.

The Hauppauge Fire Department will host a community gathering on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 6:30 p.m. at 855 Wheeler Road to discuss the sideshow issue and its community impacts.

Downtown revitalization

Allyson Murray, principal planner in the Smithtown Planning & Community Department, delivered a presentation on a grant application for New York State downtown revitalization funds through the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative and the NY Forward grant programs.

Murray considered Kings Park an ideal candidate for these funds due to its substantial retail and civic spaces, compact size, centrally located Long Island Rail Road station and recent public and private investment.

“The vision is to attract public and private investment to enhance the character of downtown Kings Park,” Murray said, hoping to create “a vibrant and walkable Main Street business district with diverse mixed-use development.”

The proposal seeks to leverage existing community assets, such as the LIRR station, new sewer infrastructure and proximity to major employment centers, such as the Hauppauge Industrial Park and Stony Brook University.

Murray shared a draft list of projects to be included in the application. She encouraged community members to send ideas for other proposals by email to [email protected].

Harned Road proposal

In the wake of the recent roadway fatality, Commack resident Kevin Feit asked the board to consider several pedestrian safety enhancements on Harned Road between Vanderbilt Motor Parkway and Veterans Memorial Highway.

“Currently, there are sidewalks in some sections of Harned Road, but they abruptly end,” Feit indicated. “Where there is no sidewalk, the shoulder is extremely narrow in some places and can be completely taken up by a sewer grate.”

Given these existing conditions, Feit suggested the current roadway to be “impassable for a wheelchair or stroller.” He added that while the speed limit on Harned is 30 mph, vehicles regularly exceed 40 mph due to long stretches between traffic signals.

“Sidewalks would provide several benefits to the community,” he said, among these being public safety, environmental friendliness and walkability to nearby shopping centers and parks.

The Town Board will reconvene Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 2 p.m.

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The Smithtown Library. File photo by Rachel Shapiro

By Nasrin Zahed

The Suffolk County Police Department’s 4th Precinct held its first community meeting following the summer season on Tuesday, Sept. 5, at the Smithtown Library. 

The meeting was set as an opportunity for the department to connect with community members, giving an overview of Suffolk’s recent crime trends and the department’s continued efforts.

Inspector David Regina, commanding officer of the 4th Precinct, and Capt. Richard Roseo put together a 30-point presentation detailing the major goings-on within Suffolk County.

Regina started the presentation with the growing issue of street racing, otherwise known as “takeovers,” throughout the area. The monopolization of roadways, parking lots and bridges by car enthusiasts is being spread through social media platforms. These groups congregate at decided locations where they engage in illegal car shows and dangerous performative displays.

Regina went on to discuss underage tobacco sales and the issue of vaping among teens. SCPD is taking measures to cut down on smoke/vape shops selling their products to community youths.

Through a program that had minors acting as volunteers in these transactions, police said they were able to weed out establishments willing to sell to underage individuals.

SCPD has also found that some smoke/vape shops are doubling as “backdoor” marijuana dispensaries. Although marijuana is legal in New York state, there are still parameters that allow for the possession, sale and use to be considered illegal and grounds for arrest.

Regina dedicated much of the discussion to the increase in fatal motor vehicle crashes over the last year, emphasizing the steps officers take when investigating accidents to ensure no drugs or alcohol are involved with the cause.

He applauded all his department officers and their professionalism in the line of work, highlighting that there is much more to police work than what the public might see and that interdepartmental conversations and outside help are crucial to the resolution of cases and the continued safety of our community. 

The inspector took a moment to discuss how the precinct is also trying to give back to officers who show dedication in their line of work, such as through a ceremony held by the Theodore Roosevelt Association. 

Detective Sgt. James Stapleton, the 2023 recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Police Award, was recognized for his willingness to return to duty following his cancer diagnosis in 2021. Sadly, he died due to his condition but his family was able to accept the award on his behalf.

Members of the 4th Precinct stated that SCPD is working to be more involved with the community through one-on-one contact.

The 4th Precinct holds its community meetings on the first Tuesday of each month. From now until June, these meetings will review new reports, address community concerns and get to know the public.

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. at the Kings Park Library.

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File photo
By Aramis Khosronejad

An alarming larceny trend is rising in Suffolk County as thieves swipe wallets and credit cards from shopping carts at retail stores.

Between May and August 2023, Suffolk County Police Department 4th Precinct Inspector David Regina commented on the countywide increase in larcenies during the Smithtown Town Board’s meeting on Aug. 8. He attributed the spike to thefts from shopping carts.

The inspector described how offenders usually only take the victims’ wallets or even credit cards. Regina maintained that this leads to a dangerous problem and quandary for law enforcement: Victims are not immediately aware they’ve been robbed.

“What they’ll do is they’ll just take out the credit cards or the wallet,” Regina told the Town Board, “The victims will not know [because] it’s not like the whole bag is gone.”

When the victims discover they no longer have their cards or wallet, the suspect has already used their cards numerous times, racking up a substantial balance.

After using the credit cards, suspects will discard the cards, making it a “very hard crime to target,” according to Regina.

“There are many people that go for these opportunities,” he said. “This has been a significant portion of our larcenies.”

‘Overwhelmingly, they get away with it.’

— David Shapiro

As of now, SCPD is still investigating six larcenies of this variety. These thefts were reported and occurred between March and August of 2023. In addition, the department has alerted all shoppers not to leave their bags in their shopping carts unattended to avoid becoming victims of these thefts.

In a phone interview, David Shapiro, a distinguished professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, offered how the thieves identify their target victims.

“The victims are usually vulnerable,” he said, adding that victims are “usually unaccompanied” and, in most cases, “there’s no guardian there.”

Shapiro noted the ease with which these crimes are carried out, describing it as a “low-tech” offense and “a crime of opportunity.” Another incentive for the offenders to choose these kinds of scenarios is the low clearance rate, according to Shapiro.

“In other words,” he stated, “Overwhelmingly, they get away with it.”

According to the Suffolk County Police Department’s public information office, in all of the ongoing larceny investigations of this kind between March to August 2023, the perpetrators have attempted to use the victims’ credit cards.

Shapiro emphasized how profitable stolen wallets have become for thieves due to the factor of credit cards.

Shapiro commented that these crimes provide perpetrators with “some time to exploit the vulnerability of the online system, where you can spend rather quickly,” he added.

Other than the apparent financial threat of larcenies, another arguably more dangerous factor comes into play with stolen wallets and cards: identity theft.

Shapiro remarked on the possible threat of it, pointing out that in today’s time, “You have a lot of personal identifying information that is separately valuable apart from the currency,” he said, adding that all this personal information inside wallets holds a “value that may exceed the actual currency.”

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