With Ramadan near, Suffolk top cop's focus: Preventing hate

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison met in Brentwood with members of the Muslim community ahead of the start of Ramadan and discussed safety measures amid persistent concern over the potential for anti-Islam hate crimes.

Harrison said he wanted to attend the Tuesday night meeting to connect with the community before one of the holiest months on the Islamic calendar begins March 22. 

He laid out how the department’s hate crimes investigation unit and intelligence unit work with state and federal agencies. Harrison said police plan to station patrol cars outside Suffolk mosques and Islamic centers during peak hours of prayer through Ramadan, which ends April 21.

In Nassau, Muslim leaders said they are planning a similar meeting with county police officials for Thursday. Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said the Nassau police department is increasing its presence "around all houses of worship."

Habeeb Ahmed, chairman of the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury, said, “We’re concerned about security"

“There’s always tension and worry about what’s going to happen and other people having problems in the communities during religious time.”

The Islamic center plans to hire its own security to go around buildings and parking lots in a joint venture with the police, Ahmed said, adding that police will be notified of what hours security is needed. 

Harrison said having open discussions with the community like the one Tuesday at Suffolk County Community College are effective and build trust.

“We’re making sure we do a better job of outreach,” Harrison said. “Each community has its own fears when it comes to public safety, and it’s my job is to bring trust and transparency and provide that level of comfort. This police department is here to protect them. We are blessed to be in this position to bring the Muslim community in so they can hear what we’re doing that may not be on surface and we’re ahead of a lot of things going on.”

Several at the meeting with Harrison said they appreciated it being so close to Ramadan.

“You have these people afraid of what might happen at night and attacks. Unfortunately we had these previous incidents,” said Abutalib Aqueel, program director for the Islamic Center of Suffolk County in Brentwood. 

Of Harrison's department Aqueel said: “It’s excellent. They’re very helpful and go above and beyond. If we need anything they’re there … we know if anything happens, we don’t need to be shy about asking for help.” 

The Brentwood mosque was targeted in 2021, a week after Ramadan concluded, when vandals scrawled graffiti outside the mosque and burned a sacred religious flag.
At Tuesday's meeting, the police department’s hate crime unit discussed past related crimes in Suffolk: anti-Islamic graffiti found in Lake Ronkonkoma in 2021, two Sikh teenage boys who were targeted in 2021 at the Walt Whitman Shops in South Huntington, and a crescent moon statue firebombed last year at the Masjid Fatima Alzahra Mosque in Ronkonkoma.

Officers are planning to walk around the parking lot of mosques and greet worshippers during Ramadan. Officials said marked police cars can serve as a deterrent, but encouraged mosques to complete a vulnerability assessment with law enforcement for potential threats and break-ins.

Suffolk police said they will conduct free assessments of lights, doors, cameras and alarms that can make houses of worship eligible for $150,000 in state security grants.

Abdul Rahman, 30, of Floral Park, said the relationship with police has improved after periods of Islamophobia when he was a student at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“It’s showing how south Asians can integrate in the community and shows we’ve come a long way,” Rahman said. “We’re all New Yorkers, and it makes a strong statement seeing officers working with the community. It shows how far we’ve come since 9/11 and the looks we used to receive.”

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.