Suffolk turf war means no bomb-sniffing dog

Suffolk's long-standing law enforcement turf war led to the county legislature rejecting a $50,000 federal grant to pay for a bomb-sniffing dog for the sheriff's department.

PBA vice president Noel DiGerolamo told lawmakers during several recent debates on the topic that accepting the grant and having a sheriff's dog sniff for bombs - something police dogs now do - would leave the county vulnerable to paying police officers the $13.5 million in a lump sum.

"It was our position that the county should not jeopardize $13.5 million for a $50,000 grant," DiGerolamo said.

Deputy Chief Michael Sharkey of the Sheriff's Department said the agency will purchase a bomb-sniffing dog for the jail with seized asset forfeiture funds.

The measure to accept the Homeland Security grant fell four votes short Tuesday, as lawmakers sided with the Police Benevolent Association's argument that doing so would leave the county liable to owe up to $13.5 million to the police union if it violates terms of the contract it agreed to in March.

County Executive Steve Levy called lawmakers "weak-kneed" and criticized the PBA for forcing the county to spend its own money to replace Robbie, the sheriff's sniffing dog that retired in 2009 and recently died.

"To just throw free money down the tubes simply to protect the PBA turf is asinine," Levy said. "This is the type of thing that frustrates the average taxpayer about government."

Sheriff Vincent DeMarco has been trying to replace Robbie for 17 months. An initial Homeland Security grant request was rejected because the proposal said the county would use the dog only at the Suffolk jail. A second request was approved after it added bomb-sniffing to the dog's responsibilities.

But that addition served as a trip wire for PBA officials.

In its contract, the PBA agreed to $13 million in lag payroll and received legal assurance that no Suffolk police responsibilities would be shifted to other law enforcement agencies.

"It was a high-wire act," said Robert Lipp of the legislature's Budget Review Office. "If you're a legislator you don't want to take that gamble."