Legislature Approves Bill to Reopen Police Annex in Huntington Station

The Suffolk County Legislature overwhelmingly approved a bill on Thursday that will re-establish a police substation near the now-shuttered Jack Abrams School in response to the recent surge in gun violence and gang activity in Huntington Station.

The proposal, introduced by Majority Leader Jon Cooper, D-Lloyd Harbor, passed with a sweeping result of 16 to 2 during Thursday morning's Suffolk County Legislature meeting at the William H. Roger Legislature Building in Hauppauge.

"The situation in Huntington Station has been steadily deteriorating, particularly in recent months," Cooper said. "The reopening of the police annex will be a major step forward to reclaiming this neighborhood for the hard-working families who still proudly call Huntington Station their home. Their perseverance deserves not just lip service but the real service and action that this annex represents."

A police annex had been previously located in Huntington Station from 1996 until 2006, when it was closed by County Executive Steve Levy as a cost-saving measure.

The bill adopted Thursday gives the County's Division of Real Property Acquisition and Management 30 days to report back to the Legislature with its recommendations about where to locate a facility to house a police substation in the general vicinity of the Jack Abrams School.

Chairman of the Huntington Housing Authority (HHA) Dr. William Spencer has already told Cooper that the HHA is willing to offer space at one of its buildings free of charge for the annex. Spencer also commended Cooper for his efforts to bring an annex back to Huntington Station.

"We need a brick and mortar facility that says to the community, the police are here and ready, willing and able to join us in the fight to take back our streets," Spencer asserted.

Cooper also introduced a new bill that would fund the installation of 20 additional security cameras in Huntington Station at the legislative meeting.

Following the meeting, a demonstration was held regarding a the third prong of Cooper's three-tiered plan for Huntington Station – the ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System. Cooper was joined by other legislators as ShotSpotter's Senior Vice President Gregg Rowland and its Director of the Northeastern Region Jack Pontious presented the technical details of the system.

"Cooper is representing the Second Precinct in taking a lead role in getting legislation to get this done," Pontious said. "Within the next 60 days, there will be a study by the police department on the efficacy of ShotSpotter in Suffolk County."

Pontious said the system is already being used in 50 other locations across the country, including in Nassau County, and that he feels Suffolk County, and specifically Huntington Station, would benefit from the technology.

"Hopefully the county will pass the resolution to require the ShotSpotter system … based on what other towns and cities are seeing in crime reduction," Pontious said.

The ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System will go to a vote in the Suffolk County Legislature on or after Oct. 19.