Islip Public Safety Commish, deputy fired

Three weeks into his administration, Islip Supervisor Tom Croci has moved to fire the head and deputy of Public Safety, one of the town's top revenue-making departments.

Public Safety Commissioner Larry O'Leary and his deputy Bill Napolitano were told Monday Croci intends to replace them.

Both retired NYPD officers and registered Republicans, they headed a department that includes responsibilities for town code enforcement -- including housing and fire marshals -- traffic violations and harbor and maritime safety, which reaped $2.9 million for the town in 2011. On parking ticket violations alone, the department went from bringing in $371,000 in 2008 to $1.2 million in 2011.

Recently retired Suffolk County police officer Gregory Byrne, also a registered Republican, is expected to be appointed commissioner at the Jan. 31 town board meeting. Croci said Tuesday the new deputy, John Carney, a Brentwood fire commissioner and town employee in fire rescue at Long Island MacArthur Airport, would be hired after the town board appoints Byrne.

Both O'Leary and Napolitano had served the town well, Croci said. "This is no reflection on their ability, but rather reflects the new administration's desire to bring in personnel who share our vision and will approach problems in our town with new eyes." O'Leary and Napolitano declined to comment.

Byrne, who joined Suffolk police in 1985 and rose to detective lieutenant commanding officer of the special victims unit, has "great relationships" with law enforcement on Long Island and throughout the state, as well as with federal partners through work he has done on interagency task forces, said Croci, also a Republican.

Carney's appointment could prove controversial.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office is looking into a complaint by former Supervisor Phil Nolan that Carney used local fire equipment to campaign for the Republican ticket three days before the Nov. 8 election. Witnesses said Carney and other uniformed firefighters from Brentwood turned out Nov. 5 with a fire truck to hand out Croci campaign literature as then-Supervisor Nolan attended the opening of a Bay Shore Subway outlet.

DiNapoli's office has said the complaint is being investigated as part of a routine audit the office is conducting of the Brentwood fire district. Carney could not be reached for comment.

Croci said Carney is well respected in town.