on guard in focus - spring 2012
DESCRIPTION
Newsletter of the Suffolk County, New York Sheriff's OfficeTRANSCRIPT
Vincent F. DeMarco Sheriff
John P. Meyerricks Undersheriff
Joseph T. Caracappa Undersheriff
Michael P. Sharkey Chief of Staff
Kerry M. Kneitel
Chief Deputy Sheriff
Charles Ewald Warden
A Message from Vincent F. DeMarco, Sheriff
Welcome to the first edition of On Guard and In Focus: A
Publication of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. This
publication is packed with information designed to inform
you about current issues in law enforcement, traffic safety
and tips to keep you and your family safe. Each issue will
introduce new topics In Focus. In this issue, you will find
information on the proliferation of gangs in Suffolk County
and how Sheriff’s G.R.E.A.T. Program Officers are working in
our schools and communities to prevent gang membership
among youth. Also in this issue you will find information
about a recent study on texting while driving and the
On Guard and In Focus: A Publication of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office
Spring 2012 Online: SuffolkSheriff.com (631) 852-2200
repercussions of this dangerous behavior. Finally, we highlight how our
SLAP program has put low-risk inmates to work on public projects in our
communities, paving the way for a better future, while easing a financial
burden on taxpayers and local non-profit organizations.
Your feedback, questions and suggestions are appreciated. Emails can be sent
to me at [email protected], and don’t forget to visit us
online at www.suffolksheriff.com.
Be safe, and enjoy this first issue of On Guard and In Focus.
Warm regards, VINCENT F. DeMARCO Suffolk County Sheriff
Sheriff’s Message…... 1
Traffic Safety………. 2
SLAP Update ……… 2
Award Presentation…. 3
The GREAT Program..4
Reentry In Focus……. 5
Historic House Spruced
up for Spring ………...6
Inside this Issue:
In Focus: The SLAP Program
The Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program (SLAP) permits
low-risk incarcerated individuals the opportunity to
enhance their skills, or learn new ones, while improving
public areas.
Since the program was expanded by Suffolk County
Sheriff Vincent F. DeMarco in 2006, inmates have
contributed hundreds of hours of labor to public projects
throughout the county.
During the months of December 2011 and January 2012,
inmates from the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in
In Focus: Traffic Safety
The U.S. Department of Transportation conducted a study on
distracted driving and published their report in December 2011,
with noteworthy results. Approximately 2 out of 10 drivers
(18%) report they have sent text messages or e-mails while
operating a motor vehicle; and half (49%) of those 21 to 24 years
old report sending text and emails while driving. In fact, drivers
younger than 25 are two to three times more likely than older
drivers to read or send text messages or e-mails.
The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office plays a significant role in
maintaining safety on our highways; Sheriff's deputies are out in
force all year long patrolling the Long Island Expressway and
Sunrise Highway. It is illegal to text while driving in New York
State, and yet many drivers continue to engage in this risky
behavior. A violation comes with a fine of up to $150 and 3
points
points on a license. It is a primary offense; and an officer will stop you if you are observed using a handheld device
while driving. When drivers text, there is a 23 times greater risk of a collision than when not texting. Driver
inattention is a primary contributing factor to crashes and near crashes. Looking away for two or more seconds will
double the risk of a crash or near crash.
“So the next time your phone rings or beeps while on the road, ask yourself if a text or call is worth your life, your
friend’s life or anyone else’s,” stated Sheriff DeMarco.
On Guard and In Focus Page
Riverhead assisted the members of the American Legion
Hall in East Hampton with a variety of special projects, such
as painting, roof repair, and landscaping.
“SLAP benefits the public and the inmates performing the
labor. For some inmates, this vocational experience breaks
a cycle of unemployment and criminal behaviors--allowing
them to secure and keep meaningful employment after
release,” stated Sheriff DeMarco.
Sheriff DeMarco, Commander Fred Overton and Sydney Bye
On Guard and In Focus Page 3
Sheriff DeMarco Presents Scholarships to two
Promising Criminal Justice Students
On Wednesday February 15th
, Suffolk County Sheriff Vincent F.
DeMarco joined with the New York State Sheriffs’ Association
Institute in honoring two local students who show promise as future
criminal justice leaders. The students, Chris Miklas of Rocky Point and
Lauren Norjen of West Babylon (pictured above with Sheriff DeMarco)
were selected by Suffolk County Community College to receive the
New York State Sheriffs’ Association Institute’s 2011 Criminal Justice
Scholarship for their academic excellence and their dedicated pursuit of
a career in the field of criminal justice. The students were each awarded
a scholarship check in the amount of $250.
In Focus: The G.R.E.A.T. Program
improving positive relationships among law enforcement, youth and
their families. The curriculum emphasizes essential communication and
life skills to help kids resist gang pressure and youth violence.
Correction Officer Everett Oliver has been teaching the program
since its inception in 2007. In this In Focus interview, Officer Oliver
discusses the problem of gangs in Suffolk County.
, and it is listed under “Community Programs.” They can make a
request for the program through the “Online Request Form” on the
website, or if they prefer, they can call the Sheriff’s Office of
Q. How do gangs recruit?
A. Officer Oliver: Organized gangs
actually have recruiters who will go out
into the schools and to community events,
such as basketball games, and recruit
members. Kids as young as 12 to 13 years
old are commonly targeted by these gang
recruiters, and it often begins in middle
schools.
Q. What can school officials do to
fight the problems of gang membership
in their schools? A. Officer Oliver: The best thing that
school officials can do is not ignore the
problem and become educated on gang
symbols and lingo so they can easily
recognize gang activity in their school
districts. School officials, employees and
teachers should all be familiar with the
signs, symbols and lingo used by gangs.
School officials also need to keep the lines
of communication open with law
enforcement, and especially school
resource officers assigned to each district
by the local police department. When
signs of gangs are present, law
enforcement should be made aware at the
outset.
Q. How does the G.R.E.A.T.
Program work to fight gang
proliferation in schools and
communities?
A. Officer Oliver: The G.R.E.A.T.
Program is an intervention tool that gives
kids the life skills to resist gang
involvement. We teach kids they have
choices and a responsibility to their
communities. The program also helps
build trust between law enforcement and
youth.
Q. How do school officials get more
information about the G.R.E.A.T.
Program, or request it for their district? A. Officer Oliver: Information is
available on the Sheriff’s website at
www.suffolksheriff.com or by calling
(631) 852-3763.
The Suffolk County
Sheriff’s Gang
Resistance
Education and
Training
(G.R.E.A.T.)
Program aims to
prevent bullying,
youthful crimes,
violence, drug use,
and gang
involvement while
(Pictured from left to right) Sheriff DeMarco,
Betty-Jean Wrase, Christopher Coverdale and Dr.
Frances Brisbane.
On Guard and In Focus Page 4
Community Organizations Represented on the
Sheriff’s Youth Reentry Task Force
Family Service League, Inc.
Beginning a New Life, Inc.
United Way of Long Island
Hope House Ministries
Riverhead Central School District
North Shore Youth Council
Eastern Suffolk BOCES
Tri Community and Youth Agency
LifeLine Mediation Center
Colonial Youth and Family Services, Inc.
Sunshine Prevention Center
Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch
SUNY Stony Brook School of Social Welfare
Dr. Frances Brisbane, Dean of the SUNY Stony
Brook School of Social Welfare, along with members
of her staff, met with Sheriff DeMarco on March 2,
2012 to discuss plans for a collaborative program
with the University to improve outcomes for
incarcerated youth upon release.
In Focus: Incarcerated Youth
The Sheriff’s Youth Tier Initiative and Youth Reentry Task
Force were launched in October 2011. The Youth Tier
Program is a designated area within the facility that houses
10 young male inmates between the ages of 16 and 19. The
inmates receive intensive life skills training, mentoring,
educational services and participate in a program designed
to foster greater self-discipline and goal setting.
Sheriff DeMarco launched the program with the goal of
reducing long-term recidivism among youth in the facility.
Statistics indicate that there is a greater than 80% chance
that incarcerated youth will be rearrested, often within one
year of release.
The dedicated members of the Sheriff’s Youth Reentry Task
Force are helping to identify barriers to successful reentry
for the youth participating in the program, and giving them
opportunities for a better future.
“Statistics confirm the fact that our jails and prisons
have a revolving door and that incarcerated youth tend
to engage in more dangerous criminal behavior over
time. We need to look at their incarceration both as a
punishment, and as an opportunity, to help reform their
behavior while they are still young and impressionable,”
stated Sheriff DeMarco.
For more information about the program, go to
www.suffolksheriff.com.
On January 5 , 2012, Author of the book, No Room for
Vengeance, Victoria Ruvolo (center), a victim of a serious
crime committed by a group of young people, spoke to the
incarcerated youth about her experience, along with Sheriff
DeMarco(standing), Co-Author Rob Goldman (on left) and
Carol Carter of the Sunshine Prevention Center (on right).
On Guard and In Focus Page 5
Sheriff Vincent DeMarco accepted a Letter of Appreciation from
Members of the Yaphank Historical Society during his visit to the
Hawkins House on March 2, 2012.
Sheriff DeMarco (right) with Yaphank Historical Society President
Robert Kessler (left) toured the Hawkins House on March 2nd
,
while inmates in the Sheriff’s SLAP Program refurbished the floor
in the kitchen area of the historic home.
Sheriff DeMarco Tours Hawkins House
(circa 1850)
On March 2, 2012, Sheriff DeMarco toured
the Hawkins House and its grounds in
Yaphank to view the ongoing work being
done by SLAP (Sheriff’s Labor Assistance
Program) crews to clean up and refurbish this
historic landmark.
The Sheriff committed SLAP crews to assist
the historical society in refurbishing aspects
of the house that have deteriorated through
the years. During the past 12 months,
inmates have repaired furniture, painted the
north side of the house, repaired flooring
throughout the home, hung shutters, installed
and painted the handrails on the wood deck,
and installed the brick border and walkway
around the garden in the front yard. Other
intensive projects are ongoing and planned
for the remainder of this year.
“This kind of hard work makes fiscal sense,
but it also improves inmate morale, and gives
them an opportunity to do something to
repay society for their crimes and the cost of
incarceration,” stated Sheriff DeMarco.
The Hawkins House (circa 1850)
Important Numbers at the Sheriff’s Office
Main Switchboard (631) 852-2200
The Civil Bureau (631) 852-5600 Community Relations (631) 852-3763
The Pistol License Bureau (631) 852-2233 Project Lifesaver (631) 852-3405
Senior ID Cards (631) 852-2215 Visiting Appointments (631) 852-1893/94
Sheriff Vincent DeMarco [email protected] (631) 852-2205