Bellone: 'Intelligent' Policing Reforms Contribute to Decline in Crime

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone cites data-driven policing as one of the primary reason that there has been a steady decline in countywide crime over the past few years.

“I want to thank and really compliment the police officers on the street who are doing the work here to make this one of the safest counties in the country and protecting the safe, suburban quality of the life we all enjoy here,” he said. 

According to the Suffolk County Police Department, there has been a 17 percent reduction in crime since the implementation of intelligence-led policing reforms. 

Bellone credits the decline to recent reforms, which allow timely and accurate crime information to be monitored at the precinct level. 

Whereas before crime statistics were collected within cycles of 30 days, “now it’s a daily thing,” he said.

According to statistics released by the police department, violent crimes have dropped 8.5 percent between 2011 and 2013. Intelligence-led policing reforms allow for the identification of crime patterns and trends so that police can not only respond promptly to crimes, but also ensure the prevention of them, Bellone said. 

View the crime stats here.