The New York Times has looked more closely at the deaths of three that took place in a houseboat docked in Huntington Harbor on March 23.

The paper reports that Suffolk County Police Department cutbacks at the behest of Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy may have played a role in the deaths.

The houseboat was moored a third of a mile from the dock where the 25-foot police rescue boat was tied up.

"Lacking the police boat's medical equipment, rescue workers said, they were hampered in their efforts to revive the victims. Two patrol officers paddled out from shore in a dinghy and pumped the victims' chests until they could be carried to shore, one by one," the story reads.

Ironically, earlier on the day of the houseboat deaths,  Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper told Huntington Patch that the legislature feels more police officers need to be hired but Police Commissioner Richard Dormer is thwarting efforts by cow-towing to Levy.

"The legislature cast a hard vote last year, before the election by the way, to raise police district taxes to hire 200 more cops. We already fell on our swords and did what we thought was the right thing even though, who wants to raise taxes, but we realized we have a growing gang problem and heroin trade here on Long Island. So, my community wants more cops, the legislature voted to raise more money to hire more cops, but Levy said, 'I'm only going to hire 70.'"