Cooper Wants Police Commish Removed

Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper (D-Lloyd Harbor) announced at the Tuesday, March 23 meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature that he has filed a bill to remove Suffolk County Police Department Commissioner Richard Dormer.

The Legislature's Majority Leader said that he lost faith in Commissioner Dormer after the commissioner agreed privately that there was a need to hire more police officers, after what Legislator Cooper said was more than a year of telling the Legislature in multiple public sessions that he didn't need more police. While Legislator Cooper said he personally liked Commissioner Dormer, he said he no longer felt the Commissioner had the ability to stand up to the demands of County Executive Steve Levy to limit police numbers and cut costs.

In an interview Monday, Leg. Cooper said that the legislature feels more police officers need to be hired but Dormer is thwarting efforts by cow-towing to Levy.

"A recent spate of street-related or gang-related violence illustrates why the legislature disagrees with the county executive on this. 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 waht 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 so many.'"

Cooper said Smithtown Town Councilman Bob Creighton testified in front of the legislature twice in support of this bill. "He said this will increase autonomy but Levy is fighting it tooth and nail. And Police Commissioner Dormer came to testify against it, as well. Publicly Dormer says we don't need more cops and everything is fine. But I said to him, 'Rich, I know we have an honest disagreement but I and the legislator feel we need more cops and I know you feel differently. He said, 'No, of course we need more cops but I don't set police policy, the county executive does and he's my boss.' So privately he said said we need more cops. I was really upset."

"We need a police commissioner with the strength to stand up for professional police standards when they conflict with County Executive Levy's constant desire to cut the number of police, endangering public safety," said Legislator Cooper. "I know how difficult that is, but we must have a police commissioner who is willing to fight for what is best for the department and its officers and the people of Suffolk County. Unfortunately, I no longer believe Commissioner Dormer is that man."

  "This issue has been privately discussed among members of the legislature, but I do not know if there is the political will to remove Commissioner Dormer," stated Legislator Ricardo Montano, a co-sponsor of the legislation.  "I believe it needs to be addressed before the Legislature and the public."

Both legislators said that the pervasive and worsening gang problem throughout Suffolk County underlines the need for additional police. Legislator Cooper said that more police should be hired to deal with the growing problem of gang violence in his district, centered in Huntington Station.

In an effort to give the Suffolk County Police Commissioner greater autonomy and independence, Legislator Cooper has sponsored legislation that would give the Commissioner a fixed five-year term. Legislator Cooper felt that a five-year term would give the Police Commissioner the kind of job security that would allow him to make public safety based decisions outside of political considerations. That legislation has not yet gained the votes necessary to proceed.

He said Monday that he believes the county Director of Probation, currently John Desmond, and the Commissioner of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Personnel, currently John Williams, to also have fixed terms.

"Right now Levy could fire them at will," Cooper said. "If Levy doesn't like the color of their tie, he can fire them. If they dare to disagree with him publicly he could fire them. If they had a fixed term they could give them more autonomy and stand up to the county executive if they believe public safety warrants an action."