A Suffolk police officer is in pursuit of a man involved in an armed robbery. The suspect accelerates, and the officer is told to back away over public safety concerns. His sergeant is confident in giving the order, knowing they have the intel necessary to arrest him later.
The story was told at the unveiling of the police department’s newly expanded Crime Analysis Center in Yaphank, where the armed suspect was tracked over a network of cameras. They knew what he was driving and what direction he was heading, vital information that was relayed to officers who would make the arrest under safer circumstances.
“With the powerful tools at the fingertips of the team of analysts and law enforcement professionals here at the Yaphank center, there is a simple message we want to put out there,” said County Executive Ed Romaine. “If you commit a crime in Suffolk, you will be caught.”
Considered the “Crown Jewel” of the 11 analysis centers throughout New York, the Suffolk Police headquarters unit handled a quarter of the 130,000 law enforcement requests for assistance statewide. The center was tripled in size and its staff doubled thanks to $1 million in funding provided through the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services. There’s room for 45 crime fighters working with cutting-edge computing and communications systems in front of a 24-foot-wide, 4.5-foot-high video wall that’s state of the art. A photo of a stolen vehicle pops up, picked up by plate readers and cameras. Police are dispatched to intercept it.
The tech-rich facility is staffed with crime analysts and law enforcement personnel from a number of agencies, including the Suffolk Police, District Attorney, Sheriff, Probation Department, and Child Protective Services. They coordinate with the Nassau County, New York City, and New York State Police departments, as well as the Air National Guard, state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program.
The close coordination between agencies is credited with helping reduce shooting incidents on Long Island to 44, the fewest on record since 2006. Meanwhile, preliminary data shows a 7% reduction in reported crime compared to the same nine-month period in 2023, police officials reported.
“Public safety is my number one priority—and this expansion enables law enforcement to share intelligence, analysis, and support to identify hotspots and crime patterns that help them work smarter,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “The intelligence-sharing and coordination facilitated by these centers allows law enforcement agencies across the state to focus resources where they are needed most, maximizing our ability to keep New Yorkers safe.”
“We are grateful that the governor has dedicated the resources necessary to create this powerful crime-fighting office here in Suffolk,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano. “Crime analysts and the high-tech tools at their disposal are taking a huge bite out of crime.”
“Data sharing between multiple agencies all in one room creates a formidable crime-fighting platform. We’re glad to have it here at police headquarters,” said Senator Dean Murray.
New York Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado added: “Crime analysts play a critical role in supporting law enforcement investigations. At our Crime Analysis Centers, these professionals work with local, state, and federal law enforcement personnel who share their knowledge and expertise and leverage technology to access information and data that results in a more targeted, strategic approach to solving and deterring crime.”
The Suffolk, Nassau, and Hempstead Town police departments are among the 28 other law enforcement agencies in 21 counties that received nearly $36 million through the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative to reduce shootings and save lives, state officials noted. The three Long Island agencies collectively reported double-digit declines in the shooting metrics.
Crime fighting funding from the state has reached record levels, including $18 million for the Crime Analysis Center Network, $21 million for the SNUG Street Outreach Program, and $20 million for Project RISE, initiatives that provide funding and support to local law enforcement and community partners working to address the causes and consequences of gun violence and other crime.
“As host to one of the largest intelligence centers in the state, we further our commitment to public safety through the implementation of advanced technology and allocation of necessary resources for our local law enforcement agencies to effectively investigate and deter crime,” County Executive Romaine concluded.