Legis. Cooper Releases Plan to Combat Crime

A Huntington Station parking lot was certainly a hot spot on Tuesday, as Suffolk County Legis. Jon Cooper, D-Lloyd Harbor, unveiled his plan to combat violence in Huntington Station. Cooper was joined by community leaders along with concerned citizens as he imparted his intentions.

"The point I've tried to make is to take a holistic approach," Cooper began.

His plan involves three major initiatives to bolster crime-fighting efforts including reopening a police substation in the general vicinity of the Jack Abrams Intermediate School, securing $60,000 in county funding to install an additional 15-20 surveillance cameras on public streets in high-crime areas of Huntington Station and other parts of the Town of Huntington, and implementing the ShotSpotter® Gunshot Location System in Huntington Station, which will blanket a one-square-mile area of the community with high-tech acoustic surveillance in an effort to fight street crime and dramatically reduce gun violence.

In a meeting last week, Cooper said he spoke with County Executive Steve Levy about using light duty officers in the annex, so as not to take away police presence in other areas. These officers are fully trained and mostly armed.

"I have been fighting for years for additional cops," Cooper said.  "If they're sitting behind a desk, it may as well be in the police substation."

The second step Cooper is pushing for is to increase funding for additional surveillance cameras in high-crime areas. Already proven to work, two cameras assisted in the identification of the shooter of a 16-year-old girl in July. Cooper said the presence of an additional 15 to 20 cameras throughout Huntington will not only discourage crime, but will render violent activities immediately apparent to the police department. Cooper added that private cameras on public streets, such as those from local businesses, can be hooked up to the police cameras as well.

"We know that they work," Town of Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone said. "[Cooper] needs the help to get this in and get this funded."

Lastly, Cooper insisted on the installation of ShotSpotter®, a gunshot location system that will take acoustic surveillance of crime-ridden areas. This highly advanced technology will cover a one-mile-radius of Huntington Station, allowing for instant police response to every incident that occurs.

"What convinced me to go forward with this was meeting with Nassau County Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey," who swears by the new system, Cooper said. "This is amazing technology."

Housing Authority Chair Dr. Robert Spencer said he is in support of the new plan.

"I would like to commend Legislator Cooper," Spencer said.  "It's nice to see the county, town, and housing authority out there on the street."

Spencer expressed his concern for young residents in the area, and the necessity to take the recent crime seriously. 

"There are vulnerable, impressionable people … who will be future gang members," Spencer warned. He said he looks forward to working with the county to provide space for the annex.

"We must work together and are working together," Spencer continued. "We will continue to work tirelessly, we will take back our community."

Cooper said he believes that these three efforts combined will have a dramatic impact on deterring violence in the area, and will significantly benefit the revitalization of the Huntington Station area.

"The community is tired of speeches and press releases," Cooper said, "they want to see action."