Letter: Sheriff highway patrols are working

Regarding former Suffolk County Police Commissioner John Gallagher's assertion that the deputy sheriffs' patrols of the Long Island Expressway and Sunrise Highway somehow pose problems for law enforcement ["Turf battle," News, Jan. 16], there is no basis in fact nor reason for his supposition. Flippant comments such as these only fuel divisiveness in the law enforcement community and mask the realities that government, just like families and businesses, must adjust to challenging economic times.

In 2008, the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department increased its patrol presence on the LIE and Sunrise Highway to ease the burden on county taxpayers for the rising costs of policing Suffolk's main highways. The fact is that the deputy sheriffs' salaries are significantly lower than their counterparts' in the county police department, which saves $8 million to $10 million a year.

Gallagher implies that the Suffolk County Police have ultimate jurisdiction in the five western towns, and that "putting one law enforcement agency in charge of highways that go right down the spine of another agency's jurisdiction" doesn't work well.

This statement is misleading to the public. Multi-jurisdictional policing is, in fact, a well-established practice throughout Suffolk County's towns and villages, as well as the State of New York.

While the former police commissioner and others may prefer to perpetuate the myth of a "multi-jurisdictional" battle among law enforcement agencies, the sheriff's office will continue to leverage collaborations and invest in cost-conscious technologies to improve public safety for all of Suffolk County's residents.

Kerry M. Kneitel, Riverhead

Editor's note: The writer is the chief deputy sheriff for Suffolk County.