Three Village Central School District Superintendent Kevin Scanlon has released a letter addressing incidents of antisemitism within the schools, acknowledging a growing concern and outlining steps to combat hate speech through new programs and curriculum changes.
Next, we sit down with Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina, who reflects on his first months in office, shares his vision for the department, and discusses key public safety issues facing the county.
Finally, we turn to the world of sports as Setauket’s own Ben Brown, a rising star in Major League Baseball, embarks on an international journey with the Chicago Cubs. We’ll take you inside his exciting trip to Japan and his first spring training game with the Cubs, plus how his family is experiencing this thrilling moment from back home.
Stay tuned for all that and more, right here on The Pressroom Afterhour.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine with Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. Photo courtesy of Suffolk County Executive Romaine's office
By Daniel Dunaief
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. Photo courtesy the Suffolk County Police Department
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina is constantly looking for ways to ensure the safety of residents and improve upon a force he believes is the best in the nation.
After a recent visit to an intelligence center in Nassau County that tracks potential school threats, Catalina created a similar threat matrix in Suffolk.
Earlier this week, he described an incident at Brentwood High School Ross Center in which officials found bullets.
During an active investigation, the SCPD plans to determine who brought those bullets to school. Once they do, they will follow up with an ongoing assessment of the risk anyone might pose to students.
“Based on that matrix, we determine how often we’re going to visit that individual to determine whether that threat level has changed,” Catalina said. “If somebody was willing to bring bullets” to school, that person is “probably somebody that’s going to be high on the threat matrix,” said Catalina.
As he continues in a role he took last month and that he has described as his “dream job,” Catalina plans to take several measures to improve the safety of county residents.
In a wide-ranging, exclusive interview, Catalina shared his thoughts on reducing traffic accidents and injuries, enhancing school safety, recruiting officers from a range of communities and developing and promoting his senior staff.
‘Too many’ car accidents
“Road safety is first and foremost,” said Catalina. “There are way too many accidents with injuries and fatalities on our roadways.”
Catalina, who is a native of Sayville and has 33 years of experience in various New York police forces, plans to bolster the highway enforcement division.
In addition to building on a street takeover task force, he’s starting a program where he’s bringing in precinct commanders on a biweekly basis to discuss accidents and accidents with injuries.
He’s looking for ways to improve on the deployment of personnel to use enforcements actions that make the roadways safer.
The Suffolk County Police Department is partnering with Sheriff Errol Toulon, Jr. and with the state police in this effort.
The department is also looking at changes in Driving While Intoxicated numbers over time.
“We’d always like to see improvement,” Catalina said.
The county has experienced an increase in drivers who are impaired from marijuana.
Detecting drivers affected by pot is challenging, Catalina said.
Under Catalina’s leadership, the department is planning to increase training that would help officers recognize the effects of people who are high while they are driving.
Current recruits will spend an additional few days in the police academy to “give them a base level training in that kind of skill,” Catalina added.
Cell phones have also become a hazard. Catalina would like to see increased enforcement of laws that prevent driving while texting.
Cars are swerving around the road as drivers stare at their phones while sending a message to someone else, who also might be driving.
The SCPD is also training officers on the use of body worn cameras, making sure the footage they collect is usable and available for prosecutions.
Chief of Detectives William Doherty. Photo from Suffolk County Police Department
Catalina is confident the academy prepares recruits for their work. He sees opportunities, however, to enhance field training.
Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder in the 2020 killing of George Floyd, was a field training officer.
“I know we don’t have any Derek Chauvins in the Suffolk County Police Department,” said Catalina. “The lesson for everyone in law enforcement is that those training officers are incredibly impactful.”
He wants to ensure that the “right people are delivering the right messages,” he said.
Opioids
Even though the numbers are down, Catalina believes the county has “way too many opioids deaths. One is too many.”
He is working closely with District Attorney Ray Tierney and is in regular contact with him, which can include several phone calls each day.
“Not only are we going to target the horrible people that sell that poison and prosecute them in connection with the DA’s office,” but the department will also work with service providers to help people in need affected by addiction, Catalina said.
School safety
The SCPD offers a service to all the schools to provide active shooter training.
The officers explain what to do, what not to do, and how to harden infrastructure to prevent the kinds of tragedies that have devastated communities around the country from happening in the county.
He recognizes the need to be judicious about deploying additional school resource officers, as the department needs to be careful about taking resources away from other programs.
Catalina provides information to schools about safety, leaving it up to each district to create their own plans.
Police recruitment
Chief of Operations Milagros Soto. Photo courtesy the Suffolk County Police Department
Catalina emphasized the importance of having police officers who can relate to people who live in the communities they serve.
“When somebody calls the police, it puts them at ease to see people that look like them or people that can speak their language,” said Catalina. “It’s also a tremendous recruitment tool for people to see people who look like them.”
The SCPD doesn’t want to compromise when it comes to the quality of the officers.
“We feel we can still get quality officers and do a better job of recruiting people who will come from the communities in Suffolk County that are underserved and underrepresented,” Catalina added.
Catalina believes the department has made progress with Latino, Asian and female officers, but feels the SCPD is “still struggling with recruitment of African Americans.
Catalina has been working with the Guardians Association, an organization comprised primarily of black law enforcement professionals. He also visited El Salvador with Sheriff Toulon, where he got some “good ideas on recruitment” that he hopes to institute next time around.
Staff promotions
Apryl Hargrove, commanding officer of the hate crimes unit. Photo courtesy the Suffolk County Police Department
Catalina has been reorganizing his executive staff, which he believes will enhance the department
The elevation in rank for these staff is merit based, driven by aptitude and performance.
Milagros “Millie” Soto has become Chief of Operations, a three star designation, and is the first woman in the department to hold that rank.
A 37-year veteran of the department, Soto has held a variety of roles.
“I’m thrilled” with this promotion, Catalina said.
Catalina also promoted William Doherty as Chief of Detectives.
Doherty “brings a tremendous amount of experience” and has run “quite a few places in the police department.”
Among other promotions, Apryl Hargrove has become the commanding officer of the hate crimes unit.
“Any time there’s a hate crime, it can devastate a community,” said Catalina. Hargrove is “an incredible person” who recently retired from the Army.
Hargrove, who is now a detective sergeant and is the highest ranking female African American officer in the department, is “going to do a phenomenal job,” Catalina said.
While Catalina is encouraged with the department, he believes these promotions help “build a really strong team.”
From left, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina with Suffolk County Clerk Vincent Puleo. Photo courtesy of Suffolk County Sheriff's Office
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine with Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. Photo courtesy of Suffolk County Executive Romaine's office
Catalina to Serve as the 16th Police Commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department
On Feb. 5, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine joined with the Suffolk County Legislature, Suffolk County Clerk Vincent Puleo, and members of the Suffolk County Police Department as Kevin Catalina was sworn in as the 16th commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department.
Catalina’s nomination was approved by the Suffolk County Legislature at its Feb. 4, general meeting. Catalina, who previously served as deputy police commissioner with the Suffolk County Police Department, has more than 33 years of law enforcement experience with two of the largest police departments in the country.
Kevin Catalina
“Today serves as a monumental day in Suffolk County as we are proud to introduce Kevin Catalina as our Police Commissioner formally,” Romaine said. “Commissioner Catalina is a man of honor and integrity and will serve as a tremendous leader of the men and women of the Suffolk County Police Department while serving as a steward to our communities.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to become commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department, the best police department in the country,” Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said. “This is a dream come true. I am excited to utilize my more than 30 years of law enforcement experience and work alongside a knowledgeable and professional executive team to implement strategies to continue to drive down crime while building relationships with our residents through community policing efforts.”
“Kevin Catalina has shown over the course of a distinguished career why he’s said to be “a cop’s cop,” said Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey.“I fully expect that the leadership, innovation, and achievements that make up his remarkable experience over three decades will prove invaluable in making Suffolk County a safer place. I’m proud to support him as commissioner.”
Commissioner Catalina is nationally recognized as a subject matter expert and innovator of anti-gang violence strategies. He brings 20 years of experience on the executive level, which has led to a unique crime prevention and management skill set.
Before his time at the SCPD, Catalina served as the undersheriff for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office for more than five years. Catalina oversaw approximately 250 deputy sheriffs as well as the Corrections Division Intelligence Bureau of 30 investigators and a unit of analysts. Catalina was successful in creating and implementing a corrections-based intelligence model utilizing jail-based intelligence that assisted in solving and preventing crimes within the community.
Catalina’s law enforcement career began in 1992 as a police officer in the New York Police Department’s 103rd Precinct. He quickly moved up the ranks, spending 20 years in supervisory roles including three stints as a commanding officer.
Catalina was then promoted to deputy Chief and served as the Commanding Officer of the Gang Division. Catalina developed and implemented all gang investigative and suppression strategies that continue to be utilized citywide.
One of New York City’s finest is bringing a wealth of experience to Suffolk County.
The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office recently announced the hiring of Kevin Catalina, a 26-year veteran of the New York City Police Department, as Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr.’s (D) new undersheriff, the department’s second in command.
Newly appointed Suffolk County Undersheriff Kevin Catalina. Photo from Suffolk County Sheriff’s office
As of Aug. 1, Catalina, 51, will get started in the position, joining current Undersheriff Steve Kuehhas, who was appointed to the post by Toulon’s predecessor Sheriff Vincent DeMarco (R) and will continue serving in that role. Catalina was born and raised in Sayville, graduated from Sayville High School, and has lived on Long Island his entire life.
Toulon spoke highly of Catalina, and said he is optimistic about the value he can add to the department.
“During my six months in office, I was searching for the very best talent to help me lead the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office into the future, and we are very fortunate that Kevin has accepted the position of undersheriff,” Toulon said in a statement.He is a resident of Long Island and knows our communities well, but he also brings a high level of expertise from the NYPD that will help drive innovation and reduce crime in Suffolk County.”
Catalina has a vast and varied history with the NYPD, having served in many crucial positions, and including in the NYPD’s counter-terrorism and counter-gang initiatives. He is currently serving as the deputy chief and commanding officer of the NYPD Intelligence Bureau in the Operational and Analytical Section, which oversees all proactive counter-terrorism investigations in New York City.
He started with the NYPD in 1992. He was promoted to sergeant in 1998, and soon after was transferred to the Queens Gang Squad as a sergeant. He was then promoted two times within the Queens Gang Squad to lieutenant and then captain, where he served until 2005.
Catalina then transferred to Manhattan, where he was put in charge of an upper-Manhattan precinct covering public housing. He was later promoted once again to deputy inspector and was put in charge of Manhattan’s 32nd Precinct. After three years in charge of the 32nd, he was transferred and became the captain of the 44th Precinct in the Bronx, which covers Yankee Stadium and the surrounding area.
When NYPD Commissioner William Bratton was reinstated in 2014, Catalina was placed as the captain of the NYPD’s Citywide Gang Unit, where he oversaw more than 350 detectives, and developed and implemented all gang investigative and suppression strategies utilized throughout the city . According to the NYPD, he is recognized as a subject-matter expert in gang violence and crime reduction strategies, and pioneered an initiative in the South Bronx that resulted in a 40 percent reduction in shooting incidents.
“During my six months in office, I was searching for the very best talent to help me lead the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office into the future, and we are very fortunate that Kevin has accepted the position of undersheriff.”
— Errol Toulon Jr.
In 2016, Catalina was transferred to Manhattan North and became the executive officer, second in command, of all precincts above 59th Street. He then made his final transfer to commanding officer of the Operational and Analytical Section, where he will serve until July 31st.
Catalina said he was confident his experience in gang relations would be effective in dealing with the gang MS-13, one of the foremost concerns for law enforcement in Suffolk County currently.
“We really started to understand the gang issue around 2010 or 2011 and we saw a dramatic drop in violence,” he said. “We put together violence conspiracy cases using every possible bit of information we could get from social media, to jail calls and text messaging. We were able to prove conspiracies to commit violent acts, and once these kids realized they could actually get in trouble, the violence was seriously curtailed. MS-13 is no different than any other gang. People look at them like they’re this big bad organization, but ultimately they’re no different than the gangs we dealt with in New York City.”
Toulon said he was also optimistic about the success of the Gang Resistance Education and Training Program, which he implemented a few months back prior to learning of Catalina’s interest in the undersheriff position. Toulon said he visited Washington D.C. to garner more funding for the program. Gang activity in Suffolk has become a topic of national discussion, thanks in large part to the light shone on it by President Donald Trump (R), including in a visit he made to the Suffolk County Police Academy in Brentwood in 2017.
“Gang recruitment usually starts at the middle school level, and that’s what the GREAT program is geared towards,” Toulon said. “We have deputy sheriffs and corrections officers that work with these kids in communities that are adversely affected by gangs, and I’m advocating for additional funding [for this program].”
Catalina’s addition, joining Kuehhas, will help round out the leadership in the sheriff’s office, according to Toulon.
“I was looking for another component because Steve Kuehhas, who will be remaining with me, has a strong legal background, and my background is in corrections, so adding Undersheriff Catalina with a strong police background brings a great asset to the sheriff’s office,” he said.
