From left, Suffolk County Deputy Undersheriff Kevin Heavey with Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. Photo courtesy of Suffolk County Sheriff's Office
From left, Suffolk County Clerk Vincent Puleo with Suffolk County Deputy Undersheriff Kevin Heavey. Photo courtesy of Suffolk County Sheriff's Office
Photo courtesy of Suffolk County Sheriff
On Wednesday, February 5, Kevin Heavey was sworn in as a Deputy Undersheriff for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. appointed Deputy Undersheriff Heavy, who spent 21 years in the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and he will oversee the Academy, Ceremonial and Wellness Unit.
“Deputy Undersheriff Heavey’s leadership and deep understanding of law enforcement operations will enhance our ability to serve and protect Suffolk County,” said Sheriff Toulon. “His commitment to integrity, accountability, and public safety will be invaluable as we continue strengthening our initiatives and supporting the men and women of this agency. I look forward to the work he will contribute to our Office and Suffolk County.”
Deputy Undersheriff Heavey brings over two decades of law enforcement experience, having served in the NYPD in various leadership roles, including the Internal Affairs Bureau and the Ceremonial Unit. His expertise spans criminal investigations, crisis intervention, and interagency collaboration, according to a press release.
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.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone delivers his remarks.
Photos from Steve Bellone’s Flickr page
Suffolk County first responders honor the fallen during a memorial service Monday morning, Sept. 11. Photo from Steve Bellone’s Flickr page
A scene from the 9/11 ceremony in Hauppauge. Photo from Steve Bellone’s Flickr page
Suffolk County first responders honor the fallen during a memorial service Monday morning, Sept. 11. Photo from Steve Bellone’s Flickr page
A scene from the 9/11 ceremony in Hauppauge. Photo from Steve Bellone’s Flickr page
By Raymond Janis
At the Suffolk County 9/11 Memorial outside the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge Monday morning, Sept. 11, county officials, first responders, faith leaders and veterans held a memorial ceremony to honor the lives lost during the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
The service included music, prayer and ceremonial name reading, paying tribute to Suffolk County residents who had perished on that fateful day.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D), county Comptroller John Kennedy (R), county Clerk Vincent Puleo (R) and county Legislators Nick Caracappa (C-Selden), Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) and Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport), among others, participated in the name reading dedication.
Striking at the heart
“We stand before a monument with names etched in glass to honor, to remember the individuals who were killed on September 11, 2001,” said Bellone, who reflected upon the initial aftermath of 9/11 and the nation’s solidarity.
The nation and world, however, have undergone considerable transformation in 22 years since the attacks, Bellone added.
He suggested the terrorists sought to strike at “the heart of this nation and what we represent, the values that we believe in — freedom and democracy.”
Despite initial disruptions and the carnage inflicted, Bellone maintained that Americans worked to coalesce and persevere.
“We responded, we recovered, we rebuilt and came back stronger than ever,” the county executive said.
More than two decades later, Bellone expressed apprehensions over existing currents, highlighting the “division” and “arguments in our own country about elections.”
A day of healing
Bellone called upon citizens to return to the values that had once united them. He maintained that internal dissension rather than external threat represents a greater risk to the nation’s future.
“If this nation, if this republic, if this democracy is ever to fall, it will not be because of external forces,” he claimed. “It will be internal division and strife.”
He added that 9/11 can serve as an annual reminder of America’s capacity to heal, overcome differences and rediscover common values.
“It is incredibly important that we have these names etched on the wall,” he said. “Because the absence of them — their lives and what they meant to their families and communities — is felt every single day.”
He concluded by saying, “How do we honor them? I believe each and every one of us [can] use 9/11 as a day to remind ourselves, to commit ourselves to coming together — to heal as a nation and as a community.”
The ceremony ended with a collective singing of “God Bless America.”
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) and county officials announced Friday, Feb. 17, that Suffolk has made progress restoring cybersecurity.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, County Clerk Vincent Puleo and Chief Deputy County Executive Lisa Black were on hand Feb. 17 to announce the county’s progress in restoring cybersecurity. Suffolk County photo
The announcement comes after county websites, servers and networks have been offline since September last year — the results of cyberattacks that first struck at the end of 2021. The county’s main website was restored online Friday, with more services coming online this week.
Bellone thanked everyone involved, including county IT professionals and County Clerk Vincent Puleo (R), who entered office earlier this year.
“His leadership and his partnership in the brief time that he’s been on the job has allowed us to make incredible progress, and he’s responsible for the announcement that we have today,” Bellone said.
The county executive reviewed key findings from a forensic investigation of the cyberattack that began in the County Clerk’s Office in December of 2021. According to Bellone, hackers were able to enter the clerk office’s system, and for eight months were able to operate before securing additional credentials to migrate into the general county system.
Bellone added that an IT director in the clerk’s office had been placed on administrative leave after, the county executive said, the director obstructed efforts, resulting in countless delays to restore security.
Bellone said every county office was deemed clean by Oct. 17, except for the County Clerk’s Office, and the expense of the security breach has been “extremely costly to taxpayers of this county.”
Despite hackers demanding $2.5 million from the county, Suffolk refused to pay the ransom.
Bellone said the county had replaced the County Clerk Office’s firewall with the most updated protection.
“The clerk’s office has been deemed clean, and we are able to start to restore online services beginning with the county website,” he said.
The county executive said he knows now the segregated IT environment within the various county offices was a mistake. He added it was fair to criticize him.
“I should have more quickly implemented the recommendations in the 2019 cybersecurity assessment, which I commissioned, to hire an additional executive level leader focused on cybersecurity,” Bellone said.
Puleo said the county’s IT department’s dedication has been unwavering during the process.
“Going forward, we will do everything we can in the clerk’s office to cooperate and get things where they belong and keep the protection so that the whole county IT is protected from future attacks,” the county clerk said.
Above, Kings Park Chamber of Commerce Officers and Directors pose for a photo with Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Suffolk County Clerk Vincent Puleo after being sworn in.
Suffolk County Clerk Vincent Puleo, County Executive Steve Bellone, St. Johnland CEO Mary Jean Weber, Assisted Living Administrator Paul Wasser & Kings Park Chamber of Commerce President Tony Tanzi at The new Assisted Living Facility on St. Johnland campus.
Officers and Directors sworn in by Suffolk County Supervisor Steve Bellone at luncheon hosted by St. Johnland
St. Johnland Assisted Living in Kings Park hosted the February General Membership Meeting of the Kings Park Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 1.
The newly-opened facility, located on the St. Johnland campus, rolled out the welcome mat for Chamber members as they held their Swearing in Ceremony of Officers and Directors.
Special guest Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone officiated the ceremony while Chamber members enjoyed a lunch prepared for them by the St. Johnland staff.The luncheon was sponsored by St. Catherine of Sienna Medical Center, Vested Business Brokers and Marie & Nate Goldstein.
“We thoroughly enjoyed the luncheon,” said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Diane Motherway, “St. Johnland couldn’t have been more gracious and accommodating. The new Assisted Living Center is beautiful. I received many compliments on the event. Thank you for extending yourselves to help make it so pleasant in every way. “
To schedule a tour of St. Johnland Assisted Living, call 631-663-4444.
