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Suffolk County Police Department

Pixabay photo

By Sabrina Artusa

In January, the Nassau and Suffolk counties police departments, the New York City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation formed a task force designed to tackle burglaries and thefts across Long Island. The collaboration, “a multijurisdictional burglary and stolen car task force,” as described by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R) at the conference announcement in January, is the result of criminals crossing county and state lines. 

In Suffolk, 1,471 vehicles were reported stolen in 2022, up 20.8% from the 1,218 taken in 2021 — the most since nearly 1,600 cars and trucks were swiped in 2010, Newsday reports.

At a recent civic meeting in Port Jefferson Station, Suffolk County Police Department provided a COPE report from Jan. 23 to Feb. 27 for the respective area. Officier Efstathiou provide the report stating, “Out of the four grand larcenies [for this area] two were related to stolen vehicles. A Honda and a Hyundai right out of one’s driveway and one in front of one’s house both with no keys. Both still not recovered.” 

In September 2022, Hochul announced a five-step plan to combat the increasing numbers of car thefts across New York. 

“Too many New Yorkers have experienced the shock of waking up to an empty driveway … that is why we are supporting local law enforcement to prosecute and prevent these thefts,” she said.

Last month Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) reported that the DMV recovered 286 vehicles worth $8.6 million in 2023 under the Comprehensive Auto-Theft Reduction Strategy. A total of 142 were recovered in New York City and 42 on Long Island.

Kias and Hyundais are mainly being targeted, Hochul announced in September. After videos exposing how to steal these cars started circulating on social media, Hyundais and Kias remain most vulnerable. However, both companies have developed upgrades to offset the thefts.

“There was a big spike … a lot of it is associated with the COVID pandemic … crime surged, not only in New York, but all across the nation,” Hochul said. 

While it is true the national rate of motor vehicle theft in 2022 was the highest it has been since 2008, it is undetermined what role the pandemic played in this change. 

Part of Hochul’s five-part plan was to implement harsher punishments, fund more advanced technology for law enforcement, increase intervention or preventative programs for at-risk youth and to strengthen the prosecution of cases dealing with vehicle theft. She also sent a letter with Mark Schroeder, state Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner, to Kia and Hyundai owners, informing them of their vehicles’ susceptibility.

“Fortunately, there are some common-sense steps you can take to help prevent your car from being stolen, such as always locking your car doors and parking in well-lit areas,” the letter reads. “In addition, Kia and Hyundai have agreed to provide tools to strengthen your car’s anti-theft protections, including a software update and a window sticker.”

In November, state Sen. Jeremy Cooney (D-Rochester) proposed the Car Theft Prevention Act to counter the rising rates of car thefts. In Rochester, more than 3,800 motor vehicle thefts were reported in 2023. That number is nearly three times the total in 2022, which itself was a record year. 

This new bill adds the felony offenses of criminal possession of stolen property in the first through fourth degrees as bail-qualified offenses. 

Local firefighters extinguish the blaze at Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Photo courtesy Tesla Science Center

By Samantha Rutt

A devastating fire broke out at the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe on Tuesday evening, Nov. 21, causing significant damage to the historic building. Firefighters from 11 departments responded shortly before 5 p.m. to find the laboratory engulfed in flames.

The fire, still under investigation, was reported to have ignited again early Wednesday morning, causing extensive damage to the main building’s roof and interior. While no injuries were reported, losing this important historical site devastated the scientific community.

The Tesla Science Center said in a statement released on Thanksgiving, “We are thankful to the deputy fire coordinators at the Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services — and to the fearless teams from the Brookhaven National Laboratory Fire Department [and all other responding departments]. Their relentless efforts to protect our community are a beacon of hope and strength.”

“The cause of the fire is still unknown,” science center representative Mark Grossman said. “It’s still under investigation, though they’ve ruled out arson. There’s no concern about it being a criminal offense — it was likely accidental. But they’re still in the investigation stage.”

The Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe was the last remaining laboratory of famed inventor Nikola Tesla. One of the most influential figures in the history of electricity, he conducted groundbreaking experiments at the site in the early 1900s.

The bones of the building, constructed in 1901, have been reported to appear intact. However, the full extent of the damage is yet to be determined.

“It brings a sense of relief to share that the structural integrity of the building dating back to 1901 seems to have withstood the ordeal,” Marc Alessi, executive director of the nonprofit, said in a statement. “This resilience is a testament to its original robust construction and durability.”

The site will be evaluated and assessed by the site engineer, historical architect and structural engineer, along with the Suffolk County Police Department, the Brookhaven Town fire marshal and the county’s Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, for damages in the coming days.

The center was undergoing renovation at the time of the fire. The renovations were intended to restore the building to its original condition and make it more accessible.

“There was a capital project that would be started shortly,” Grossman said. “We’re embarking on a $20 million renovation that would turn it into a true museum open to the public.”

In an interview, Grossman addressed fundraising efforts to raise money to repair what was damaged.

“There’s going to need to be an infusion of some donations to get things back to where they were,” he told TBR News Media. “It’s going to delay the capital project somewhat. I can’t tell you the exact amount of delay.”

The Tesla Science Center is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations from the public. In the wake of the fire, the organization has launched a fundraising campaign to help rebuild the laboratory.

The fire has sparked an outpouring of support from the community. Many people have expressed sadness at the science center’s loss and pledged their support for restoration efforts.

Amid the distressing news, Vladimir Božović, consul general for the Republic of Serbia and the consulate general team, pledged to provide “any necessary assistance” to the science center in the coming period.

The consulate’s statement further notes, “Our thoughts are with all those who hold deep respect and admiration for the invaluable work and dedication demonstrated by the Tesla Science Center in preserving the legacy of Nikola Tesla, a great Serbian-American inventor.”

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In the market for a new car? The Suffolk County Police Department Impound Section will hold a vehicle auction on Saturday, Dec. 2 at the department’s impound facility, located at 100 Old Country Road in Westhampton. The auction will begin at 9 a.m. and will be held rain or shine. There will be a preview of vehicles on Thursday, Nov. 30 and Friday, Dec. 1 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the impound yard. Vehicles will also be available for preview for one hour prior to the start of the auction. 

More than 90 lots will be auctioned off including sedans and SUVs. All vehicles will start with a minimum bid of $500 and are sold as-is. For a full list of vehicles, registration information and terms and conditions for the auction, click here or visit www.suffolkpd.org and click Precincts and Specialized Units and then Vehicle and Property Auctions.

Harborfront Park in Port Jefferson is closed for walkway reconstruction until Jan. 1. Photo by Raymond Janis

Officials from past and current village administrations quarreled Monday evening, Nov. 6, over the ongoing walkway renovation project at Harborfront Park in downtown Port Jefferson.

During the public comment period, former Mayor Margot Garant expressed opposition to the project for its use of asphalt on walkways throughout the park.

“We’re demanding an immediate halt to the project to allow time for a thorough revision of the chosen materials, costs involved and the potential environmental impact,” Garant said. “We also call for a more transparent and inclusive decision-making process that genuinely considers public feedback.”

Village clerk Sylvia Pirillo said the administration had met with an engineer regarding the use of asphalt, referring to asphalt as the “industry standard” for its cost-effectiveness and durability.

“Part of the reason it’s the industry standard is that it’s maintenance-free,” Pirillo said. “And unlike the crushed blue stone,” — the material currently used on the walkways — “it actually is [Americans with Disabilities Act]-compliant, which was a tremendous factor in the decision-making as well as, of course, the cost differential.”

The village clerk pointed to the sanitary benefits of asphalt, noting that “animal feces and other dirt and problematic-type residue do not fall into it and can more easily be washed away.”

Garant referred to the extent of the renovation project as “not necessary” and “harmful to the environmental well-being and engineering design of the park,” saying asphalt contributes to heat retention and impermeability, “particularly problematic given our proximity to the waterfront.”

Public safety

Sergio Möller, community relations officer for Suffolk County Police Department’s 6th Precinct, reported favorable findings during the department’s public safety report, noting that crime was generally down throughout the village.

Following a SCPD survey at Brook Road, however, Möller said that the roadway “has become a problem.”

Code enforcement chief Andy Owen presented promising results from a traffic survey conducted on California Avenue, which found “a majority of people are in compliance,” with 94% of cars surveyed traveling at or below the speed limit.

Owen added that there were no incidents of note occurring during recent village-sponsored events.

To watch the full meeting of the village board, including trustee reports and board resolutions, see the video above.

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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Events aimed at building bridges and breaking down biases through activities and outreach

Members of the Suffolk County Police Department and faith-based groups will come together to offer activities during the fourth annual collaborative initiative National Faith & Blue Weekend (NFBW) from October 6 through October 9.

The idea behind the National Faith & Blue Weekend is to create safer, more inclusive communities by connecting law enforcement officers and the residents they protect and serve. Each of the department’s seven precincts will partner with a religious institution to offer a variety of activities designed to enable law enforcement officers and members of the public to get to know each other, and to build mutual understanding.

The events will be held at:

Our Lady of the Assumption Church, located at 1 Molloy St. in Copiague, on October 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Activities include a food and coat drive and a parking lot cleanup of properties near the church.

SCPD Second Precinct, located at 1071 Park Ave. in Huntington, on October 9 at 7 p.m. There will be a round-table discussion.

Trinity Lutheran Church, located at 11 Nassau Ave. in Islip, on October 8 between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Join     officers for a discussion.

Saint Patrick’s Church Canning Hall, located at 280 East Main St. in Smithtown, on October 6 from 11:30    a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on October 6. A block party with be held with police and clergy.

Parish Hall of St. James Episcopal Church, located at 260 Beaver Dam Road in Brookhaven, on October 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Join officers for Sunday Mass, followed by coffee and dessert.

Starbucks, located at 1251 Middle Country Road in Selden, on October 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join officers for discussion and coffee.

Parking lot of Applebee’s, located at the intersection of William Floyd Parkway and Montauk Highway in Shirley, on October 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A community food drive will be held.

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.”

The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees was back before the public Monday night, Aug. 7, with discussions centering around public safety, mobility and Port Jefferson Country Club.

Sergio Möller, community relations officer for the Suffolk County Police Department’s 6th Precinct, said motor vehicle accidents were up in July, attributing the spike to an increase in people during the downtown area’s busiest season.

He alerted residents to an ongoing gift card fraud trend throughout the county, saying that any solicitation for money in the form of a gift card is a scam.

PJV code enforcement chief Andy Owen reported on recent findings from his department’s speeding survey on Brook Road.

“As far as I’m concerned, it was a positive survey with positive results,” the code chief said.

Village of Port Jefferson code enforcement chief Andy Owen delivers his department’s monthly public safety report during a general meeting of the village Board of Trustees Monday, Aug. 7. Photo by Raymond Janis

Owen reported that in an ongoing speed survey at Scraggy Hill Road, the department observed some residents driving around the speed table on the street. He said the department is exploring extending the speed table to prevent this trend from continuing.

Parking and mobility administrator, Kevin Wood, updated the public on PASSPort, a village-operated municipal rideshare service created earlier this year. [See story, “Port Jeff Village to pioneer PASSPort…” March 31, TBR News Media.]

“We’re seeing between two and 12 rides per weekend,” Wood said, a ride volume “below our expectations.”

“We’re seeing very low usage for residents at this point,” he added.

Village clerk Sylvia Pirillo reported that the village’s municipal website “is in the process of being completely revitalized.” She noted that the website overhaul includes updates to promote user friendliness and a section on the landing page for employment opportunities.

PJCC’s general manager, Tom Natola, said the golf course is at the apex of its season, with heightened activity posing operational challenges for the village-owned country club.

Natola said the volume of play is adding pressure on PJCC’s parking lots. With so many people playing on the course during this time of year, he noted that basic maintenance repairs are further complicated.

The general manager stated that PJCC is exploring designs for new racket sports amenities. 

“Once the phase II [of the village’s East Beach Bluff Stabilization Project] is completed, we’re going to be redoing the paddle facility,” he said, with plans in the works for new tennis and pickleball courts.

However, he added, “The number of both we have not decided on yet because it depends on where the wall is going and how much space we actually have.”

The village board will reconvene Monday, Aug. 21, with a public hearing on proposed north- and south-facing stop signs on the west and east sides of Scraggy Hill Road.

To watch the entire meeting, including trustee reports, see video above.

Visitors to the information booth will be able to inscribe the name of a loved one lost to overdose on a purple rock. Photo courtesy of Leg. Kara Hahn's office

The Suffolk County Police Department is teaming up with parents who have lost a child to overdose or fentanyl poisoning to offer Narcan training and support at upcoming farmers markets.

This new outreach program, spearheaded by Deputy Police Commissioner Risco Mention-Lewis and Carole Trottere, a mother who lost her son to fentanyl poisoning, is aimed at arming people with the training to save lives while also normalizing the conversation of addiction—an issue that touches many Long Island families.

In addition to offering Narcan training to individuals, parents will host an informational station and provide people an opportunity to inscribe the name of a loved one lost to overdose on a purple rock. The memorial rocks will be placed in parks and other locations as a reminder of lives lost to an overdose.

Members of the department conducted this event at the Port Jefferson Farmers Market in May and trained 100 people in Narcan. 

The department will continue to attend community events to spread awareness and offer this life-saving training, including at the Patchogue Farmers Market, corner of North Ocean Avenue and Division Street in the LIRR parking lot on Sunday, August 6  from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and at the Three Village Farmers Market on the grounds of the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Counry Road, Setauket on Friday, August 25 from 3 to 7 p.m. 

From left, PJSTCA President Ira Costell with Jessica Labia and Dwayne Brown of the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless. Photo by Aidan Johnson
By Aidan Johnson

The Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association addressed issues regarding the unhoused at its general meeting Tuesday, July 25.

The civic meeting was joined by Father Francis Pizzarelli, founder and executive director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson, as well as officers from the Suffolk County Police Department and members of an organization that helps the homeless 

During the meeting, Pizzarelli shared his experience assisting the homeless, including his meeting of a homeless Vietnam war veteran 35 years ago who was sleeping in a box village in the middle of winter.

The distraught veteran, who was most likely struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, came to Pizzarelli after one of his friends who was also living in the box village froze to death.

After finding there was little help offered for homeless veterans, Pizzarelli started Pax Christi Hospitality Center, an emergency shelter for men in Port Jefferson.

Pizzarelli expressed that a stronger partnership is needed between social services, the community and law enforcement. However, Pizzarelli also noted that law enforcement’s hands are tied in many situations, though they have always “been willing to be a part of the conversation.”

Pizzarelli highlighted the lack of treatment facilities and steps in place to help people in the homeless community.

“The social networking that was in place 35 years ago is nonexistent,” Pizzarelli said. “It’s just a repetitive cycle of setting people up for failure.”

For example, there is a lack of transitional housing for people once they leave a shelter such as Pax Christi, and the ones that are there, “you wouldn’t want a rat to live in,” he said.

A Suffolk County police officer spoke about what is and is not considered a crime when it comes to homelessness, and the role that the police can play.

“We’re not allowed to arrest people for being homeless, we’re not allowed to arrest people for begging,” the officer clarified.

“It used to be against the New York State Penal Law to stand in front of a business and beg. That was taken off the books, so what we’re left with is a [state] Vehicle and Traffic Law, because realistically, it’s not going to solve the problem, us arresting them at that specific moment,” the officer continued.

The officer said police can write a person a traffic ticket if they are on a road begging, which could possibly lead to a warrant and then an arrest, but reiterated the police cannot simply make an arrest for begging.

There are also laws in place that allow police to take a person into custody if they are deemed to be either a danger to themselves or others. However, the officer explained that the law’s threshold criteria is very high.

The police department has also put the Behavioral Health Unit to effect.

“We have these officers; they go out to these specific locations where the homeless people … are, and we try to attack it [by] offering them social services such as housing and drug counseling, and we hope that they will voluntarily take it,” the officer said.

Jessica Labia and Dwayne Brown of the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless were also in attendance to speak on issues. Labia furthered the point of the lack of resources, saying, “The more resources that are put into folks that are experiencing homelessness or low income on Long Island, the more we’re able to help them get into housing.”

She also suggested that arresting homeless people wasn’t helpful, as it can make it more difficult to house people when they have a criminal history.

Labia and Brown reminded everyone that homelessness was not just in the Port Jefferson Station area, but rather Long Island as a whole has between 3,000 and 4,000 homeless people on any given night.