New Initiative Will Fight Huntington Station Crime

Town of Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone and Councilman Mark Cuthbertson announced a new initiative to work with Huntington Station residents in driving out the elements responsible for criminal acts and violations seriously affecting the community's quality of life on Friday.

The new initiative will include establishment of a hotline for residents to relay information about criminal activity and Town Code violations, as well as establishment of a Community Outreach office. The initiative will also include a major effort to enlist landlords' cooperation in eliminating conditions that adversely affect area residents' quality life. Landlords who fail to cooperate will face the financial effects of the heightened crackdown on violations of Town Code that has been underway for several months.

The effort will also see heightened cooperation between the Town and Suffolk County, the result of a meeting held July 21 including Supervisor Petrone, Councilman Cuthbertson, County Executive Steve Levy and Police Commissioner Richard Dormer. The county pledged to work with the town to identify and address housing issues in the community, including illegal apartments and code violations.

"This is everybody's responsibility," Petrone said. "We all need to work together – residents, landlords and those charged with public safety – to help us return control back to the community. We expect the increased influx of information from this effort will provide the tools to help us deploy our resources more effectively."

Another facet of this initiative includes the town's plan to establish a hotline for residents to report complaints about code, quality of life and criminal violations. Residents will be able to make complaints anonymously, while being given case numbers they can use to track county and town responses. The town also plans to open a Community Outreach Office in Huntington Station.

"Residents often note that they don't know where to bring their complaints, or that once they file a complaint, there is no follow-up," Cuthbertson said. "With this effort, we will work together to make sure that information brought to our attention receives the appropriate response."

The anti-crime initiative will also includes the county's support of state legislation allowing the town to create a Code Violations Bureau to more quickly and efficiently prosecute persons charged with violating Town Codes; an agreement by the county and town to hold regularly scheduled meetings at which community members can interact with their elected and appointed representatives; and increased support at both the town and county levels of the Neighborhood Watch programs being formed in Huntington Station.

The town has also moved to seize five houses under Chapter 50 of Town Code. That section of the code allows houses to be declared repeat public nuisances because of arrests at the locations for conduct such as drug sales or prostitution.

"We appreciate the pledge of additional help from police so we can more effectively invoke the provisions of Chapter 50," Cuthbertson said.

Petrone added, "We are all committed to making Huntington Station a safer and more pleasant place to live. By working together, we will drive out the influences that have kept us from realizing those goals."