Suffolk legislators, exec still split on police hiring

Neither Suffolk County lawmakers nor County Executive Steve Levy backed down Wednesday from their stands on replenishing police ranks with 200 new hires - a measure that carries a projected 20-year cost of up to $1 billion.

Levy reiterated that he will move ahead with the 70-member class planned for April, but said that a later class might be stalled by a projected sales tax shortfall of up to $66 million.

"We have to be mindful what the budget looks like," he said.

Lawmakers in both parties said the hirings are needed because retirements have left the department short-staffed.

"I've had six shootings in my district since the beginning of the year," said Legis. DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville). "We need to cut out the semantics and do what's needed to make our communities safe."

The ongoing dispute between lawmakers and Levy was reignited by the cost estimates, detailed in a Newsday story Wednesday. Levy also estimates that it costs taxpayers an average of $178,754 for each police officer put on the street.

"It's a very large number but it doesn't exist in a vacuum," said Legis. Daniel Losquadro (R-Wading River), noting that new officers earn less than those who are retiring and the most recent police contract included givebacks.

But Levy maintains the department is at a "pretty good level right now," and that more police are on patrol than when he took office - the result, he said, of turning over some tasks to civilians, turning highway patrol over to the deputy sheriffs and moving officers out of desk jobs and onto the street.

Critics say that to cover patrols, Levy is depleting other specialized units such as community policing. "It's like saying, 'Let's not replace sanitation workers' and let garbage pile up or, 'Let's not hire teachers' and put 60 students in the class," said Legis. Jack Eddington (I-Patchogue), public safety committee chairman. "At some point, you have to do the right thing."

Jeff Frayler, Suffolk Police Benevolent Association president, said Levy is "extrapolating numbers to such a degree just to embarrass" the police union.

Levy countered that legislative budget analysts do not dispute his projections.