(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced today that a new joint initiative has been launched between the District Attorney’s Office and Town Supervisors to combat quality of life issues that confront Suffolk County communities.
“Bail and discovery reforms have made prosecuting so-called quality-of-life crimes even more challenging. Accordingly, we need to work both harder and smarter to protect our communities. This is why my office has launched a coalition that will allow us to work with individual towns more effectively to tackle many of the quality-of-life concerns present in our neighborhoods across Suffolk County,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Our goal is to keep our residents safe and let them know that, regardless of the type or size of the issue, we will work with their Town Supervisors and public safety officials, and prosecute those cases to the fullest extent of the law, as we do with any other case. Crime doesn’t stay in one area, it crosses boundaries, and where it goes, we must follow.”
“The Town of Babylon has made addressing quality-of-life concerns our top priority and we are thrilled to be teaming up with a DA who gets it,” said Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer. “Since taking office, DA Tierney and his office have worked closely with our retooled public safety department chaired by Councilman Terence McSweeney to keep our residents safe and put criminals behind bars.”
“The Town of Brookhaven is happy to work with the District Attorney’s Office to maintain safe neighborhoods by focusing on quality-of-life issues,” said Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine. “I thank District Attorney Tierney for his leadership and for partnering with the towns to investigate and prosecute those who break the law. Safe neighborhoods are the backbone of our community and swift action must be taken when that safety is jeopardized.”
“The Town of Huntington proudly works with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Suffolk County Police Department to help ensure Public Safety,” said Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth. “This new initiative will reinforce that commitment of collaborative government. I want to thank District Attorney, Ray Tierney, for bringing us all together to provide this valuable service to our communities.”
“We are grateful to District Attorney Raymond Tierney for this innovative partnership that addresses quality-of-life concerns in the Town of Islip. A resident’s home is their most valued possession. Rodent infestations, hoarding, animal abuse or illegal drug activity lower property values and will not be tolerated,” said Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter. “We will continue to utilize our combined resources through the Town’s Public Safety Division and the District Attorney’s Office to ensure residents’ safety and quality-of-life.”
“This is what good governing looks like. Working together with Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney and his team to hone in on and combat the hyper-local issues that affect our residents and each town differently, is just the type of outside-of-the-box thinking that we need more of in government,” said Smithtown Town Supervisor Ed Wehrheim. “We have met with Smithtown’s entrusted Assistant District Attorney to discuss the issues that adversely affect Smithtown. We are eager to roll our sleeves up in this exciting collaboration of intelligence, and communication to improve quality-of-life and address local issues in an expeditious manner.”
District Attorney Tierney has assigned multiple Assistant District Attorneys to each Town so that they can coordinate with town officials and community leaders, as well as attend public safety meetings in which items of concern are discussed. This partnership encourages residents to be proactive in reporting issues that adversely affect their communities. A home, for example, that has an animal hoarding problem or one that has suspicious traffic can be reported to town officials, who will in turn, address them at those public safety meetings. Depending on the problem, the District Attorney’s Office can determine if there needs to be an investigation launched or arrests should be made. The District Attorney’s office has found that such collaborations and information sharing help build a streamlined flow of intelligence that allows quality-of-life issues to be addressed swiftly.
If you would like to report quality-of-life concerns regarding your neighborhood, please contact your Town Officials for further assistance:
• TOWN OF BABYLON: To report issues over the phone, please dial 3-1-1 from within the Town which will direct you to the Office of Citizen Services where they can log in complaints directly. To report issues online, please visit the following link: https://townofbabylon.com/FormCenter/Contact-Us-2/Report-a-Quality-of-Life-Issue-84.
• TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN: To report issues in the Town, please call the Resident Contact Center at (631) 451-TOWN – “One Call Does it All.”
• TOWN OF HUNTINGTON: https://huntingtonny.formstack.com/forms/resident_feedback
• TOWN OF ISLIP: To report issues in the Town, please call (631) 224-5306, assistance is available 24/7.
• TOWN OF SMITHTOWN: Please visit the following website to find a specific department to file a complaint: https://smithtownny.gov/directory.aspx.
• SUFFOLK COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Please visit the following link: https://suffolkcountyny.gov/da/Contact-Us/Contact-the-DA.
In an emergency in which you require immediate assistance from the police, fire department, or an ambulance, dial 911 from your phone immediately.