Keeping Suffolk safe is the stated goal of officials gathered at police headquarters in Yaphank Thursday to announce the promotion of 24 officers to detective and a number of leadership changes.
“It is the responsibility of government to keep people safe, and these moves will help us do exactly that,” said County Executive Edward Romaine, who stressed that it was improper for his predecessor, Steve Bellone, to budget for the positions but not fill them. “The taxpayers paid for detectives to solve crimes, and now we’re going to put them on the street.”
Out of a total of 69 promotions, Romaine elevated existing staff members to a chief position, a deputy chief, three deputy inspectors, one captain, six lieutenants, two detective sergeants, and 30 sergeants, along with the 24 new detectives. The positions will be backfilled by a new police academy class of 225 recruits, Romaine reported. The class will also include deputy sheriffs and corrections and probation officers, officials said.
The county executive, who took over from Bellone January 1, had previously announced 37-year police veteran Robert Waring as commissioner, in addition to deputy commissioners Kevin Catalina, a former Suffolk Sheriff’s Department undersheriff, and Belinda Alvarez-Groneman, a retired county police detective.
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| Suffolk’s new detectives. Robert Chartuk |
“Anyone thinking of smash-and-grab attacks on our retailers or stealing catalytic converters, or peddling drugs in our communities better think twice because we will come after you,” Romaine promised. “We are not like Manhattan where the police are handcuffed, and the district attorney promises not to prosecute low-level crimes.”
Joining Romaine at the announcement was Kevin McCaffrey, presiding officer of the Suffolk Legislature, who pointed out that the commitment to enhance law enforcement was made by the GOP lawmakers who amended Bellone’s budgets. “You can’t promote unless you have officers to backfill the positions,” McCaffrey said, noting the presence of the legislature’s Democrat leader, Jason Richberg, at the press conference along with officials from both sides of the aisle. “This transcends party lines; we all agree that public safety is one of our chief responsibilities.”
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| County Executive Ed Romaine, joined by Suffolk legislators and police brass, announces the police department promotions. Robert Chartuk |
“This will reduce the caseload; more crimes will be solved. Cases will get over to the district attorney’s office much faster,” said legislator Nick Caracappa, who added that the legislature had also provided funding for more prosecutors in District Attorney Raymond Tierney’s office. “This is what you need to do to fight crime.”
Among those promoted was Colleen Cooney to deputy inspector, now the second highest woman police official in the ranks, according to Commissioner Waring. “These promotions will ensure that we have skilled and experienced professionals fighting crime here in Suffolk,” Waring said.
“We have police officers being attacked by illegal immigrants in the city, a revolving cashless bail system in our state. Changes must be made to make sure our citizens are safe,” Romaine said. “I will be part of these changes.”
Also attending the announcement were legislators Steve Flotteron, the deputy presiding officer, Catherine Stark, Ann Welker, Sam Gonzalez, Rebecca Sanin, Stephanie Bontempi, and Leslie Kennedy, as well as County Comptroller John Kennedy.