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Colorado Springs is not around the corner. But the effects of a tragic shooting there the day after Thanksgiving have trickled down and made a very real impact on Suffolk County.

We spent much of the fall season interviewing candidates running for various offices, and more than once we were reminded that our county police department was being stretched too thin.

Fast forward a few weeks to the aftermath of Friday’s shooting at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado that killed three and injured nine. Our county police department announced it would be increasing patrols near the five clinics in its jurisdiction as a result. The department also committed itself to training Planned Parenthood officials in crime prevention, which hopefully will provide a more lasting impact on preventing similar tragedies here.

Sometimes there is a disconnect between the national conversation and the small-town scuttlebutt, but this is an example of how one person’s actions can have a nationwide effect. In our case, it is strapping an already taxed police department.

The consequences are real, and there are things we could do on a local level that could perhaps trickle in the opposite direction — up to the national conversation.

We could strive to better care for our neighbors, both through publicly funded mental health programs that provide more access to treatment and more comprehensively deal with mental illness, and by speaking up when someone we know is behaving erratically or speaking in an alarming manner. We are seeing more and more irrationally thinking people commit acts like the shooting in Colorado Springs, in which the assailant targeted people unknown to him. And it seems impossible that none of these perpetrators displayed irrational behavior or thought beforehand.

A strongly connected community is an excellent safety net. We should work to weave ours tighter.

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Francis Barrios mugshot from SCPD

Police arrested a homeless man for sexual assault on Tuesday night, after he allegedly attacked a taxi driver on a trip that started at a local hospital.

The Suffolk County Police Department said that the female cab driver picked up her passenger at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson that evening, but during the trip he assaulted her and the taxi crashed into a fence on Mount Sinai-Coram Road in Mount Sinai. The suspect, 34-year-old registered sex offender Francis Barrios, then sexually assaulted the driver.

Police did not release the name of the taxi company, to protect the identity of the victim.

Officers had initially responded to the crash scene when a passing motorist called 911, according to police, but the responders arrested Barrios after further investigation. He was charged with first-degree criminal sexual act, first-degree attempted rape, second-degree strangulation and third-degree assault.

Attorney information for Barrios was not immediately available and he could not be reached for comment. He was held overnight and scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday.

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File photo

A mother was delivering a baby on the side of the road when officers on patrol stepped in early Wednesday morning.

The Suffolk County Police Department said a car was stopped on the side of Deer Park Avenue, just south of Jericho Turnpike in Dix Hills, shortly after 2 a.m. and when patrol officer Joseph Ferro offered assistance, the driver said his wife was in active labor.

Officers Gerard Maxim and Jonathan Murray also responded, police said, and Murray helped the 32-year-old woman deliver a healthy baby girl.

Police said the Huntington Community First Aid Squad transported the Dix Hills couple and their new baby to Huntington Hospital.

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A county police car sits outside the Smithtown Planned Parenthood. Photo by Jared Cantor

A deadly shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado has spurred Suffolk County into action with a growing police presence surrounding similar clinics in Huntington and Smithtown.

Robert Lewis, 57, allegedly opened fire at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic on Nov. 27, killing three and injuring nine, according to published reports in the Associated Press. And while the horrific scene may have occurred more than 1,000 miles away, the Suffolk County Police Department said it was taking no chances when it comes to protecting clinics on the Island.

In a statement, the department said it would be increasing patrols near the five Planned Parenthood clinics throughout Suffolk, including those at 755 New York Ave. in Huntington and 70 Maple Ave. in Smithtown. Police vehicles were stationed at both buildings for much of the week so far, but the department said there were not any credible threats targeting any county clinics.

“While no specific threats have been made toward Planned Parenthood locations in Suffolk County, the department will enhance patrols and remain in contact with other law enforcement agencies for the most up-to-date information regarding the potential for similar attacks,” the department said in a statement.

Planned Parenthood clinics also reside in Patchogue, Riverhead and West Islip.

When reached for comment, both the Huntington and Smithtown Planned Parenthood clinics deferred to a statement from Reina Schiffrin, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, who spoke of grief for those affected by the horrific shooting.

“The hearts of the staff at Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic are with the families of the victims of this senseless tragedy, as well as our colleagues across the country and particularly PP of the Rocky Mountains,” she said. “The safety and security of our patients and staff has always been our top priority, and we are very grateful to the Suffolk County Police for their response to this event and for expanding their presence at our five health centers in Suffolk County. Our doors remain open and we will continue to provide high quality health care to the women, men and teens of Suffolk County.”

Suffolk County cops also teamed up with Planned Parenthood administrators this week to offer crime prevention training, the department said in a statement. The goal of the crime prevention program, the department said, is to reduce opportunities for crime at sensitive locations while also combatting fear.

“Suffolk Police officers will assess the locations and provide information on how building design and environmental influences can affect human and criminal behavior,” the department said in a statement. “Officers will speak to Planned Parenthood officials about the importance of camera systems, target hardening, natural surveillance, facility access control, and territorial reinforcement which may be used to decrease crime.”

Planned Parenthood has roughly 700 health centers across the country, with each clinic serving as a hub for affordable health care and sex education. Its practices have been an ongoing source of controversy, mostly relating to its work in providing abortion and greater contraception services for women.

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Suffolk County police car. File photo

A man in a mask stole prescription narcotics from a North Shore pharmacy on Sunday afternoon, according to police.

The incident started at about 1:30 p.m., when the suspect entered a Shop Rite on the south side of Nesconset Highway in Hauppauge, near the intersection with Route 111, the Suffolk County Police Department said. The man, clad in a ski mask and sunglasses, went to the pharmacy counter and demanded the drugs, and an employee complied.

Police said the man did not threaten violence or display a weapon during the robbery. He fled on foot, going south toward Route 111.

According to police, the suspect has been described as a white male with a medium build who is between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall. He was wearing a dark-colored sweatshirt and khaki pants at the time of the crime.

Detectives from the SCPD’s Pattern Crime Unit are investigating the robbery. Anyone with information is asked to call Suffolk County Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.

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File photo

Police arrested two men who allegedly tried to steal tires and rims from cars at a dealership in Smithtown early Sunday morning, with the help of a police dog named Thor.

Officers Frank Filiberto and Vincent Liberato first came upon the suspects as they looked around the King O’Rourke dealership on Nesconset Highway in Smithtown, the Suffolk County Police Department said. Filiberto, while on patrol, had seen a suspicious vehicle turn into the business’ rear lot at about 2:30 a.m. and called for backup. As he and Liberato investigated, they allegedly saw two men removing lug nuts from a 2016 Cadillac Escalade, but the duo fled when they noticed the officers.

Police said canine officer Michael Cassidy and Thor arrested the alleged perpetrators, 38-year-old Lake Grove resident Steven Hall and 51-year-old Lake Ronkonkoma resident Joseph Stoddard, a short time later.

Hall and Stoddard were charged with third-degree attempted grand larceny, third-degree auto stripping and possession of burglary tools.

Attorney information for the defendants was not immediately available.

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Sabelo Ndala mugshot from SCPD

A motorcyclist was killed on Saturday afternoon when a young man who was allegedly on drugs crashed a car into his bike.

Two days after Thanksgiving, the Suffolk County Police Department said, 56-year-old Thomas Heissen Buttel was riding a 1972 Harley-Davidson north on Old Town Road when he was struck by a vehicle whose driver had been trying to make a left onto Hyson Way in Coram, just south of Hawkins Road.

The motorcyclist, a South Setauket resident, died from his injuries at Stony Brook University Hospital, police said, while the driver of the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta that struck him, 22-year-old Port Jefferson Station resident Sabelo Ndala, was not hurt.

Police charged Ndala with driving while impaired by drugs, operating a vehicle without an interlock device and second-degree aggravated unlicensed driving. He was arraigned the next day.

The suspect is listed as defending himself in the New York State court system’s online database and could not be reached for comment.

According to the database, Ndala had a previous drunk driving charge against him, dating back to February, to which he pleaded guilty. His license was revoked for 18 months in that case and he was mandated to use an interlock device on his vehicle, which prevents the car from operating unless a sober person breathes into the device, for three years.

After Saturday’s crash, police impounded both the Jetta and the Harley-Davidson for safety checks.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to call detectives from the SCPD’s Vehicular Crime Unit at 631-852-6555.

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Danielle Wisnieski mugshot from SCPD

Police allege a pregnant woman was on drugs when she overturned and crashed her car in Kings Park the night before Thanksgiving.

The 26-year-old, Danielle Wisnieski, who is also 26 weeks pregnant, according to the Suffolk County Police Department, was driving north on Indian Head Road at the time of the crash. Police said she lost control of the vehicle, a 2003 Cadillac Escalade, near the intersection with Old Northport Road and overturned just after 8 p.m.

Paramedics treated her at the scene, police said, and administered Narcan, a medication that is used to block the effects of opioids like heroin and Vicodin and is commonly used to reverse overdoses.

The driver, a Kings Park resident, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital to be treated for minor injuries. The passenger in her car, a 34-year-old Kings Park resident, was treated for minor injuries as well at Huntington Hospital.

No other cars were involved in the crash.

Wisnieski was arrested and charged with driving while impaired by drugs.

Attorney information for the suspect was not immediately available, and she was scheduled to be arraigned at a later date.

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File photo

A teenager on a motorbike was injured Tuesday when he was hit by a sedan that then fled the scene, according to police.

The Suffolk County Police Department said 18-year-old Kyle Fiore was riding east on Jamaica Drive in Sound Beach when a sedan, which had been traveling south on Deer Drive, struck him shortly before 5 p.m.

The sedan, described as light-colored, fled the scene. Police said Fiore, a Sound Beach resident, was treated at Stony Brook University Hospital for a broken femur — the thigh bone — and other non-life-threatening injuries.

Police impounded the motorbike for a safety check.

Detectives from the 7th Squad are investigating the crash. Anyone with information is asked to call them at 631-852-8752, or to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-220-TIPS.

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Smithtown Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Bradshaw. File photo by Rachel Shapiro

On Tuesday, Dec. 1, Smithtown Central School District, in conjunction with the Suffolk County Police Department, its PTAs and Project Presence, will host an important community forum, “The Ugly Truth: Heroin and Prescription Drug Education and Awareness.”

The forum, which is open to all Smithtown community residents, begins at 7 p.m. at Smithtown High School West, 100 Central Road, Smithtown. Content to be discussed is most appropriate for children aged 15 years and older.

During the event, attendees will be provided with information on the dangers of prescription medication and heroin abuse, how to recognize the signs of drug abuse among teenagers and tools and actions parents can take to help their child.

The program will also feature a question and answer period and training on Narcan, a prescription medication that can reverse an overdose by blocking the effects of opioids. Additionally, SCPD’s Operation Medicine Cabinet will be on hand to safely discard expired or unwanted prescription medication.

“Our goal is to increase education and awareness and build protective factors and preventative skills for families with a series of follow-up workshops,” said Jennifer Bradshaw, Smithtown Central School District assistant superintendent for instruction.

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