Public Safety / Emergency Preparedness

Crime in Suffolk County is at record lows, but there is a real need for more outreach between law enforcement and the community. Additionally, there are 16 unsolved murders in Wyandanch currently.

For me, public safety is about more than just the police. It also involves the Sheriff, our legal community, and our public health workers. As Legislator, I would push for more community-based initiatives. I also believe the County should facilitate more outreach between police officers and the community. It’s all about establishing relationships. The Suffolk County Police Department, like Suffolk County as a whole, could do a better job of connecting with diverse communities, including by providing language access for non-native English language speakers.

When it comes to emergency preparedness, we learned from the County’s Superstorm Sandy Review Task Force that local fire departments and police departments should be equipped with generators in case of an emergency situation and that more efforts should be done to equip and prepare fire and ambulance companies for the next storm.

Finally, we need to allocate more resources to investigate and solve the murders which lanquish. Each death is connected to a grieving family and community. We should ensure these cases are handled expeditiously and respectfully.