Governor Kathy Hochul (D) and the State have pledged $1 million to expand the Suffolk County Crime Analysis Center (SCAC) located on Suffolk Police Headquarters in Yaphank.
The SCAC has been a critical part of Suffolk’s law enforcement efforts. Nevertheless, this expansion—doubling the size and staffing of the center—is a game-changer. The 5,000 square feet of space will now house forty-five people, which is a massive upgrade from the 1,700 square feet it had before. When dealing with crime analysis, the more space and manpower, the better.
The technology that’s now part of the SCAC include a twenty-four-foot video wall, which will help law enforcement officers visualize crime data in real time, making it easier for them to spot crime patterns and hotspots.
But this isn’t just about having a fancy new office space or cool gadgets; this expansion is about working smarter. The SCAC will now have representatives from a variety of law enforcement agencies working together under one roof. Whether it’s the Suffolk County Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office, the town police departments of the five eastern towns, or even Child Protective Services, everyone can share information in real time. This collaboration is key to ensuring criminals don’t slip through the cracks.
It’s all about teamwork.
Suffolk County has made strides in this reducing the crime rate. For example, last year, shooting incidents on Long Island dropped by nearly 40%, violent crime overall was down 4%, and property crimes were down 7%. It is the hope of Governor Hochul, the State, and local law enforcement and elected officials that the SCAC’s expansion can continue this trend.
The SCAC handled over 30,000 service requests last year, nearly a quarter of all requests made across New York’s crime analysis centers. That’s no small feat, and with the added capacity, the numbers will hopefully rise, and so will the effectiveness of crime prevention and resolution.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) hit the nail on the head when he said that the SCAC helps us stay safe. It’s about using the right resources to stop crime before it happens and, when it does happen, respond faster and more effectively.
However, crime doesn’t stop at the county line, and having all these agencies working together gives our police the ability to combat more significant, more complicated criminal activities, like drug trafficking, organized crime, and even human trafficking. The SCAC will be able to identify trends and spot crime hotspots in real time, which is key in today’s fast-paced world.
Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon (D) called the investment in this center a “strategic investment in public safety.”
“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 Hochul in a statement. “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.”
“The Crime Analysis Center is a great resource that brings representatives from law enforcement agencies together in one location, allowing for easy communication and shared resources,” said acting Suffolk Police Commissioner Robert Waring. “By having the technology in this center, along with analysts identifying trends and patterns, we are furthering our mission of solving and deterring crime.”
Romaine was joined at last Thursday’s revelation of the expansion by Commissioner Waring, Sheriff Toulon, State Police Troop L Major Steven Duads, Chief Assistant District Attorney Alan Bode, Shelter Island Police Chief James Reed, as well as representatives from the Suffolk County Police Chiefs Association. Executives from the police and public safety agencies across the county, as well as partners from the ATF and the FBI were also present.
“Last year alone, these centers handled nearly 131,000 requests for service from 631 law enforcement agencies; that’s a 118% increase from three years ago,” said Joe Popkin (pictured above), Executive Deputy Commissioner of the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services. “Remarkably, nearly a quarter of all of those 113,000 requests were handled by this center, the Suffolk Center.”
Suffolk’s crime center joins ten others across the state as part of the data-sharing, collaborative approach.
“The technology and all the equipment you see out here, we couldn’t have done any of this without Governor Hochul’s generosity, so thank you,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. “We have people from all over the tri-state area sitting in this room right now solving crimes, sharing intelligence between agencies and jurisdictions. We know that bad guys do not respect jurisdictional lines. They go from place-to-place committing crimes. If we’re not a step ahead of them in solving the crimes through intelligence like this, we’re never going to catch them, and we’re getting better and better at that.”
Catalina shared that the efforts were already on display that morning, as a suspect wanted for gunpoint robbery of a gas station was being pursued by police. The pursuit was called off, but the suspect was tracked with intelligence from SCAC and able to be apprehended. The benefits also extend to a decrease in high-chase pursuits, which can be dangerous for other motorists and police officers, as evidenced in the recent case of officer Brendan Gallagher.
“The message is very clear to the criminals out there. We’re watching you, we’re united, we’re cooperating, we’re working together, we’re sharing information, and if you come to Suffolk County to commit a crime, we’re going to get you,” said Executive Romaine.
