Southampton Town's new police chief to set to take office

Incoming Southampton Town Police Chief Steven Skrynecki is set to take office on Thursday, three months after he was initially scheduled to become the town’s top cop.

The Southampton Town Board is scheduled to approve Skrynecki’s start date and transfer from the Nassau County Police Department — where he has served for 42 years — at a meeting tonight.

Skrynecki’s start date has been pushed back three times since the town board voted in September to appoint him police chief, a position he was expected to begin on Jan. 16.

Skrynecki, 64, who is on administrative leave as chief of department for Nassau County Police, has cited prior commitments as the reason for the delay.

He has served as a consultant to Southampton police since January. Capt. Lawrence Schurek has helmed the 100-member department as interim police chief since October.

Also at today’s 6 p.m. town board meeting, Supervisor Jay Schneiderman will give his state of the town address, and the town board will discuss legislation to dissolve the position of police commissioner, a job that has been vacant since 2006.