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‘It went down quick’— Three rescued after 31-foot sailboat sinks in Peconic Bay

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A 31-foot sailboat sunk Wednesday evening in Peconic Bay between Greenport and Shelter Island, sending three people into the bay during an informal race that many Shelter Island Yacht Club members participate in.

According to Jeff Bresnahan, who heads the club’s junior sailing program, sailor Ross Allonby’s boat, Badger, took on water “in “very windy conditions” and a “ripping” current.

The race started at 6 p.m., Mr. Bresnahan said and at 6:50 p.m. he got a call from club member Whitney McCarthy, who was concerned that “something didn’t look right” with Badger as it sailed just north of Jennings Point on Shelter Island.

In 30 seconds, the boat was fully submerged and Mr. Allonby and two guests were in the water, Mr. Bresnahan added.

They were rescued by Zachary Bliss, who was watching the races from his motorboat nearby. No injuries were reported.

“It was just a perfect storm,” Mr. Bresnahan said. “The boat got hit by a wave, he took on a lot of water, there was a big puff of breeze. It went down quick.”

Southold Town police received a call reporting “a sailboat … in distress” in Peconic Bay at 6:52 p.m. An officer responded and was unable to locate the vessel and no further action was taken.

Yacht Club staffers spent all day Thursday trying to discover the boat’s location but were unsuccessful.

“Badger could be in Connecticut now, for all we know,” Mr. Bresnahan said.

Shelter Island Yacht Club (SIYC) Commodore Bryan Carey issued a statement Friday: “While this was not a SIYC event we are glad that the sailors involved were retrieved without injury and grateful that SIYC staff and members were able to assist the sailors and first responders. Many thanks to all of those who provided aid and assistance.”

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Police investigating armed home invasion in Greenport

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Three armed suspects wearing masks broke into a Greenport home in an early morning home invasion, according to Southold Town police.

Police cordoned off a portion of Center Street in front of the home Friday morning and officers were stationed outside. The home, at 225 Center St., is at the corner of Third Street.

Members of the Suffolk County Crime Lab and the Suffolk County ID Section were on scene to investigate in what was described as the early stages of an active investigation. The armed invasion occurred shortly before 5 a.m., police said.

Southold police at the scene declined comment and a press release did not include additional details.

Police outside the Center Street home. (Credit: Tara Smith)

Suffolk police deferred comment to Southold.

Neighbors outside the home Friday morning said they were unsure what had happened.

The Center Street home is located just around the block from the Second Street house where a Greenport woman was killed last year.

Top photo caption: Crime scene investigators outside the Center Street home Friday. (Credit: Tara Smith)

tsmith@timesreview.com

Multiple crime scene markings were placed on the street outside the home during the investigation. (Credit: Tara Smith)

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Cops: Four people dive overboard moments before collision in Great Peconic Bay

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A Mattituck man was issued a summons after driving a 29-foot boat straight into another vessel in Great Peconic Bay, forcing four people to dive overboard before the collision, according to Southold Town police.

Benjamin Blake Savercool, 20, was the operating the Hinckley boat with three other people aboard and crashed into a smaller vessel, running up its stern and damaging the windshield and bimini top, police said. The four people on the smaller boat, all between 23 and 24 years old, were hanging out on the center console when the saw the larger boat heading straight for them, police said. Realizing the boat was about to strike, they dove into the water.

No injuries were reported and the four people in the water were safely picked up.

Mr. Savercool told police he did not see the other vessel because his bow was up too high, police said. He was charged with reckless operation and various infractions and issued a summons, police said.

The incident took place in the water off Deephole Creek south of Mattituck shortly after 3:30 p.m., police said.

Mr. Savercool was operating the boat with two passengers from New York, ages 47 and 79, and another man from Chicago who is 48. The people in the smaller boat were from Brookville, Newburg, Islip Terrace and Bellmore, police said.

CORRECTION: An initial report indicated the driver had been arrested on a misdemeanor charge. Police later clarified the driver was issued a summons and not arrested.

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Southold Blotter: Mattituck man arrested after refusing breath test

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A Mattituck man driving on Sound Avenue near Mill Lane in Mattituck was stopped for speeding last Sunday around 4:11 a.m., according to Southold Town police. Max Padula, 25, was found to be intoxicated and refused to take a breath test, police said. He was charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, the report states.

• Eva Kelly, 36, of Mastic Beach was arrested for driving with a suspended license and with an expired inspection last Thursday around 8:47 a.m. in Cutchogue, police said.

• An illegal bonfire was reported on 67 Steps Beach in Greenport last Tuesday around midnight, police said. When an officer arrived at the scene, the fire was smoldering with empty beer cans surrounding it, but no subjects were found.

• A Greenport man was issued an appearance ticket last Thursday around 8 p.m. for drinking an alcoholic beverage in a public place in the Adams Street parking lot in Greenport Village, police said.

• A Greenport woman said an unknown person stole multiple items from her apartment in Peconic Landing on Friday around 3 p.m., including two crosses, a pearl necklace and her cellphone, police said.

• A Southold couple reported a group of people entering their property without permission, jumping into their pool and then throwing their outdoor furniture into the pool on Saturday around noon and they also have the incident on surveillance video, police said.

• A Southold man said Monday that unknown people threw eggs at two school buses over the weekend at Southold High School, police said.


Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.

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Update: Police question suspect in connection to Mattituck robbery

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Update (6 a.m.): The victim of a robbery at the Mattituck baseball field told police two black males ran off with his cell phone and a silver necklace around 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, Southold Town Police said in a press release.

Southold Town Police patrol officers along with K9 officers from the Riverhead Police Department searched the area of Rochelle Place where a suspect was located hiding in the reeds a short time later, the release stated.

That suspect was taken into custody and transported to Southold Town Police headquarters for further questioning. An active investigation is underway.

Southold Town Police did not name the suspect in the press release.

Police Chief Martin Flatley confirmed that the suspect was released and not currently charged with any crime.

“The investigation is still very active and has not been closed,” he said in an email.

*This post will be updated with additional information as it becomes available.

Original story: One suspect is in custody after Southold Town police swarmed the area around Bay Avenue in Mattituck late Wednesday afternoon after a report of an armed robbery.

Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley confirmed one man was in custody and said the investigation is still active. A press release would be issued with further details, he said.

Police appeared to be searching for a second suspect and at one point around 5:45 p.m., multiple police cars sped over to the Mattituck Plaza and officers were questioning two men in front of the movie theater. The men were allowed to go and police then left the area.

A K-9 unit, and additional officers from Riverhead Town police, were on scene in the area near Veterans Beach during the investigation.

*This post will be updated with additional information as it becomes available.

Photo caption: Police Chief Martin Flatley, right, and a K-9 unit on Bay Avenue Wednesday afternoon in Mattituck. (Credit: Tara Smith)

CORRECTION: A headline mistakenly said a suspect had been arrested. The person in custody was eventually released without being charged with a crime.

joew@timesreview.com

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Cops: Manhasset man arrested under Leandra’s Law in Greenport

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A Manhasset man was arrested under Leandra’s Law Friday night after driving without headlights along Main Road in Greenport, according to Southold Town police. David Pegno, 54, was arrested for felony driving while intoxicated after being stopped while headed westbound without headlights shortly before 8:30 p.m., police said. Mr. Pegno was driving with a 13-year-old child in the car and he then failed standard field sobriety tests, police said. He was arrested and transported to police headquarters for processing. Arraignment information was not immediately available. Leandra’s Law makes it a felony to drive drunk in New York with a child under the age of 16.

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Town bay constables rescue two whose boat struck rock

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Southold Bay constables John Kirincic and Kristopher Dimon helped the Coast Guard Sunday after a boat ran aground near Plum Island, Southold Town police said.

A release from the department said a couple on the boat, Mark Shikowitz, 64, of Syosset and Lauren Shikowitz, no age given, were in their 56-foot boat near Plum Island when it hit a rock at about 3:29 p.m. and ran aground along the southeastern shore of the island.

Ms. Shikowitz was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital with multiple injuries, including to her jaw, police said.

Further details were not immediately available.

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Update: Woman ‘expected to make a full recovery’ after becoming impaled on mooring anchor

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Update (11:50 a.m.): First responders say a 58-year-old Babylon woman who was impaled on a mushroom mooring anchor in the Peconic Bay off Nassau Point in Cutchogue Tuesday is expected to make a full recovery.

The woman was injured when she fell off her paddleboard and became impaled on the mooring anchor that was submerged beneath the water’s surface approximately 50 feet from shore, according to Southold Town police, which responded to the distress call around 6:50 p.m.

The woman was in the water, being supported by a paddleboard and bystanders, when the Cutchogue Fire Department arrived on the scene. A Southold Town police officer was the first to enter the water to assess the situation and begin treating the woman, according to the Cutchogue Fire Department. 

The officer discovered that the top of the mushroom-type mooring anchor, which is commonly used to secure boats, had penetrated the upper part of the woman’s thigh when she fell, the CFD stated. 

Both the anchor and woman’s leg were below the water’s surface. But due to the anchor’s weight and nature of the injury, she could not be moved. This, according to the fire department, ruled out the uses of some conventional approaches — such as electric tools or a cutting torch — that could otherwise be used in such situations. 

Firefighters transported their tools down a bluff to the beach to aid the rescue. They used bolt cutters to cut away the chain and attempt to cut the upper portion of the anchor. However, they quickly discovered that the anchor was made of two-inch-round hardened steel and would require more powerful equipment, according to the CFD. 

Firefighters then turned to hydraulic rescue tools, known as the “jaws of life.” A portable gasoline-powered unit with hoses and a cutter were floated out to the woman on a paddleboard that was available on the beach, the department said. 

After approximately one hour, using a combination of handsaws and battery-operated reciprocating saws, rescuers were able to safely remove the woman from the water.

She was transported by a fire department boat to the New Suffolk boat ramp, then transferred to an ambulance for transport to a waiting Suffolk County police helicopter, which flew her to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment, police said.

Officials at the hospital didn’t return calls requesting an update on the woman’s condition. However, the Cutchogue Fire Department wrote in statement that “… due to the efforts and teamwork of everyone involved, the patient received the best care possible and is expected to make a full recovery.”

Original story (8 a.m.): A 58-year-old Babylon woman was rescued Tuesday night after becoming impaled on a mushroom mooring anchor in the Peconic Bay off Nassau Point in Cutchogue. The woman was injured when she fell off her paddleboard and became impaled on the mooring anchor that was submerged beneath the surface of the water approximately 50 feet from shore, according to Southold Town Police, which responded to the distress call around 6:50 p.m.

The woman suffered a leg injury that required Cutchogue Fire Department firefighters to utilize extrication tools to remove her from the water, police said. She was transported by Cutchogue Fire Department Boat to the New Suffolk boat ramp where she was transferred to an ambulance for transport to a waiting Suffolk County Police helicopter that flew her to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment, police said.

The extent of the injuries was not immediately clear.

Additional information was not yet available.

Photo caption: The Cutchogue Fire Department and Southold Police rescued the woman who was injured after falling off a paddleboard Tuesday night. (Cutchogue Fire Department courtesy photo) 

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Two surrender to police for vandalizing Greek Orthodox Church

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Two men turned themselves into police after vandalizing the Greek Orthodox Church in Greenport last week.

Mitchell Maver, 22, of Burlington, Vt., and Wesley Brown, 21, Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. surrendered to Southold Town Police Thursday. They are both charged with criminal mischief in the fourth degree, a misdemeanor.

A glass window pane on the southwest corner of the church, as well as flower pots and a large sign in the front of the church, were reported damaged by the priest around 7:45 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, police said.

The two suspects were caught on security video committing the acts and called the church earlier this week to apologize, The Rev. Jerasimos Ballas said. The Rev. Ballas said the two men admitted to being drunk at the time, adding that they did not recall the details of the incident. A video clip of the surveillance footage released to media helped identify the suspects, police said.

“It is very hard,” he said. “Hopefully, they don’t get a record. I don’t want them to have their careers destroyed, but I want to know it is not appropriate to destroy a church. It is not nice.”

The two men told The Rev. Ballas they would pay the damages, which are estimated to cost thousands, after turning themselves into the police.

“It is good that they turned themselves in,” he said. “They are young kids that did a stupid thing. They said they were going to pay for it and I believe them because they don’t seem like the type of people that do this type of thing every day.”

The Rev. Ballas also said that since the incident community members have offered repair services and money toward the fixes.

Both men were released on $250 bail to appear in court at a future date.

cmurray@timesreview.com

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Lavender by the Bay sign stolen, other break-ins reported in Greenport

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The large wooden sign that marked the entrance to Lavender by the Bay in East Marion was stolen overnight Thursday, according to its owners.

Owners Serge and Susan Rozenbaum arrived at the 17-acre lavender field before it opened at 9 a.m. Friday to discover the 6-by-3 foot solid wood sign missing. Their son, Lavender by the Bay vice president Chanan Rozenbaum, said security footage showed two people walking off with the sign around midnight. He said the people were heading east.

“They went as far as to unscrew the bolts,” Chanan said. “It is shocking.”

The Rozenbaums erected the sign 15 years ago when Lavender by the Bay established its Main Road farm stand. It served as a welcome to the thousands who the visit the family-run farm each summer when the purple flowers are in bloom.

“I hope it shows up,” Chanan said. “It is a large sign, you can’t just throw it in the garbage, someone has to have it.”

Southold Town Police were notified of the incident Friday morning. Detectives are looking into the possibility of this incident being connected to similar a crime committed in July when a sign was cut down and stolen. The sign, which welcomed visitors to Nassau Point, was stolen about 14 hours after it went up. Last October, a residential sign in Orient for the Orient by the Sea neighborhood was also stolen.

The Rozenbaums are the latest business owners to report criminal activity at their businesses this week. A couple of Greenport business owners took to social media to address break-ins at their storefronts.

Sharon Sailor, owner of Front Street Station in Greenport — located roughly three miles away from Lavender by the Bay — also reported her business was broken into and wrote in a Facebook post Thursday night: “Want to let everyone know that Front Street Station was robbed at approximately 1 a.m. on Thursday …”

“We work hard, put in long hours and sacrifice a lot of life’s little nuances to do what we love, and to be violated monetarily and emotionally in this way sucks,” Ms. Sailor wrote.

The Parapsychology Foundation on Front Street was also broken into, according to Lisette Coly, who maintains its library. Ms. Coly wrote in a Wednesday morning Facebook  post, “The Parapsychology Library I maintain on Front Street was broken into last night… Thankfully, 12,000 books held little interest…”

Ms. Sailor and The Parapsychology Foundation did not immediately return calls for comment.

Southold Town Police believe the two incidents are related and said no other break-ins have been reported in the area in recent days.

Photo caption: The Lavender by the Bay sign is missing. (Lavender by the Bay courtesy photo)

cmurray@timesreview.com

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DWI Task Force to set up checkpoints throughout holiday weekend

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The East End DWI Task Force will set up checkpoints at strategic locations in high-traffic areas on the East End this weekend, Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini announced Friday.

“Labor Day weekend is a great time to celebrate the unofficial end of summer on the East End, but we ask that you do so responsibly,” Mr. Sini said in a statement. “If you’re going to be out drinking, make a plan to get home safely.”

Officers will be equipped with breathalyzers and will conduct field sobriety tests if they believe a motorist has been drinking or doing drugs, according to a press release.

The East End DWI Task Force includes officers from Riverhead, Southold, New York State Police, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and departments across the South Fork. Since its formation in 2012, it has made approximately 600 DWI arrests on holidays and peak tourism weekends throughout the year. In 2017, nine people were arrested by the Task Force over Labor Day weekend.

“The police departments on the East End do an outstanding job keeping residents and visitors safe year-round, particularly during the summer season when the population explodes,” Mr. Sini said. “Through the East End DWI Task Force, we are able to share and deploy resources in an even more effective, strategic way during holiday weekends and other times of high traffic.”

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Cops: Rocky Point man arrested for role in 19 burglaries

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A Rocky Point man was arrested in connection with a series of burglaries at gas stations from Wading River to Mattituck, according to Suffolk County police.

Richard Ambrose, 41, was arrested along with Travis James, 37, of Riverhead for their roles in a string of burglaries throughout the county, police said. The duo were arrested early Monday morning after three burglaries at gas stations in Commack, Patchogue and Port Jeff Station that were committed between 1:23 a.m. and 3 a.m., police said. They were charged with third-degree burglary and Mr. Ambrose was then connected to multiple other burglaries that all occurred since Aug. 8.

Mr. Ambrose faces additional third-degree burglary charges from the Riverhead and Southold Police Departments for the following burglaries:

• Aug. 12 at the Valero gas station in Wading River.

• Aug. 25 at the Speedway gas station in Mattituck.

• Aug. 25 at the Empire gas station in Laurel.

The Quogue Police Department also charged him for his role in an Aug. 12 burglary at the Speedway gas station in Quogue.

He was charged with attempted third degree burglary for an incident Aug. 12 at the American gas station in Jamesport.

Suffolk County police also charged him for burglaries at 11 other establishments throughout the county.

Both suspects were to be held overnight at the Sixth Precinct and are scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip Tuesday, police said.

Photo caption: Richard Ambrose. (Credit: Suffolk County police)

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Riverhead man arrested for Greenport robberies

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A Riverhead man was arrested Tuesday in connection to two recent burglaries at Greenport businesses.

Southold Town Police arrested Juan Lopez, 44, on two felony burglary charges for robberies that occurred at Front Street Station and the Parapsychology Foundation last week.

Both businesses took to social media following the incidents. Front Street Station owner Sharon Sailor wrote on Facebook that her business was broken into around 1 a.m. last Thursday night and is now taking extra precautions in light of what happened.

“We have been being ultra careful,” Ms. Sailor said in an interview. “This is the first time anything like this has happened. We have had to change things — the way we close at night and leaving extra lights on. It is a terrible thing … you’re looking at everyone and thinking, could that be the person?”

Southold Town police had said the incidents at Front Street Station and the Parapsychology Foundation were related and Tuesday Mr. Lopez was arrested for the robberies. He was held for arraignment, police said.

Other East End businesses have also reported thefts in recent weeks.

The entrance sign at Lavender by the Bay was stolen last week. (Courtesy photo)

The large wooden sign that marked the entrance to Lavender by the Bay in East Marion was stolen overnight last Thursday, according to its owners. Lavender by the Bay vice president Chanan Rozenbaum, said security footage showed two people walking off with the sign around midnight.

A temporary sign was installed in its place over the weekend and the owners are in the process of improving their security following the incident.

“We are updating our cameras for better visibility,” Mr. Rozenbaum said. “We’re more aware of our surroundings [now].”

On Monday morning, Chris Dowling, owner of One Love Beach — located roughly three miles from Lavender by the Bay — shared security video of a woman believed to be shoplifting at the Main Street store over Labor Day weekend.

“Hopefully someone will recognize her and justice will be served. It’s not easy running a retail business year round in this town and this person just took food off our plates and shoes off my son,” his post stated. “We are done accepting apologies from people we catch in the act. Everyone going forward will be prosecuted. We are pressing charges no matter how small an item was stolen. We are done.”

The owners of Tea and Tchotchkes on Front Street also shared a snapshot from their security camera depicting a woman taking an ornamental log from outside the business on the night of Aug. 20.

“I am shocked,” owner Brittany Calvert told the Suffolk Times Tuesday. “We always had a camera, but now I am going to have to put up a sign in the window that says, ‘Smile, you’re on camera.’”

At the start of the summer season in 2017, Greenport business owners created a network through the app WhatsApp to share information about possible crimes, such as shoplifting and passing counterfeit money. Police can monitor the app.

Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley said the app is still in use and geared more toward quickly sharing information on crimes committed while a business is open. The most recent string of burglaries has occurred mostly during overnight hours, he said.

cmurray@timesreview.com

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Cops: Man arrested for smashing car windows in Greenport

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A 39-year-old Rocky Point man was arrested Sunday night for breaking car windows in Greenport, according to Southold Town Police.

A witness observed the male subject smash the windows of three vehicles on Third Street and one on Adams Street and notified police around 11:30 p.m., according to a police press release.

The man was located a short distance away from the scene and identified as Kyle Frisina. He was arrested and taken to police headquarters. During his processing, Mr. Frisina grabbed a hold of a computer mouse and broke the cord, resulting in an additional criminal mischief charge, Southold Police said.

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Storm uproots tree that crashes down on Jeep in Southold

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A large tree was uprooted and smashed into a parked Jeep Grand Cherokee outside a Southold home when the remnants of Hurricane Michael swept across the area early Friday morning.

The front of the Jeep was elevated a few feet off the ground after the tree came crashing down on its roof. No injuries were reported. It was unclear exactly when the tree fell, but Southold Town police were alerted around 10 a.m. About 1/2 hour later, crews from the Southold Highway Department responded. PSEG-Long Island was also responding to fix the downed power lines. A transformer was lying on the street amid the dangling wires.

An outage map for PSEG showed 38 customers without power on North Parish Drive where the tree fell at 10:30 a.m. Power was expected to be fully restored by 2 p.m., according to PSEG.

Photo caption: The Jeep was elevated off the ground Friday morning. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

joew@timesreview.com

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Town mulls budgeting for more police officers in 2019 spending plan

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The Southold Town Board discussed possibly adding another police officer to staff as part of the 2019 tentative budget. Right now, only two new officers were proposed, but it is likely that number will go to three.

The Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley requested four new officers total, in order to be able to pursue the state accreditation process, Mr. Russell said.

The town police department is the only one in the county that hasn’t been accredited through that program. Implemented through the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services the program will add a level of transparency to department operations on matters such as crime statistics.

The accreditation process is said to take about a year or two, and would require a full-time employee dedicated to the process, and also would require maintenance after accreditation is received.

The board discussed whether or not accreditation was worth it, since it is very expensive to add police officers. Councilman Jim Dinizio thinks accreditation is worth it, because it will highlight things that could improve the department and that it could be legally beneficial.

Mr. Ruland said he would rather see more patrol officers on the street, because safety of the town is the most important issue.

Hiring three police officers instead of two will likely cost $100,000 or more, which will have to be offset somewhere else in 2019 budget.

rsiford@timesreview.com

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Greenport students promote safety with help from Southold police

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When Greenport’s pre-K students hop aboard the school bus this week, they may be escorted by an older student wearing a silver badge and neon-colored sash that reads “Safety Patrol.”

These student escorts are members of Greenport’s School Safety Patrol, a group of 23 fourth- through sixth-graders charged with directing their peers in traffic-heavy areas. Greenport is the first school district on the North Fork to establish a Safety Patrol.

“Members learn far more than just good traffic safety habits,” Greenport Elementary School principal Joseph Tsaveras said. “Membership helps develop attention to duty, alertness, dependability, leadership qualities and a sense of social obligation.” 

The Safety Patrol will be on duty during heavy traffic periods — 8:30 to 8:45 a.m. and 2:40 to 2:50 p.m. — in and around the Greenport school building, paying close attention to make sure pre-K students get on and off buses safely. 

Last Tuesday, Southold Town Police Officer Gregory Simmons inducted the students into the AAA School Safety Patrol. Student patrollers followed Mr. Simmons in repeating the Patrol Member Pledge.

“I promise to do my best to report for duty on time,” they recited in unison, “perform my duties faithfully, strive to prevent crashes and always set a good example, obey my teachers and officers of the patrol and report dangerous student practices.” 

Mr. Simmons and fellow Southold Police Officer Richard Buonaiuto often work in North Fork districts through the police department’s Community Response Unit, which works to bring the department close to the community. Mr. Simmons, who helped train Greenport’s student patrollers, said their role involves much more than coordinating students around traffic — it’s a huge responsibility, mirroring that of the officers themselves. 

“Whether it’s in the classroom, on the playground, in the hallway, in school — we all share the same responsibility,” he said at the induction ceremony. “You are not simply a patroller; you are now my partner.” 

The AAA Safety Patrol Program was started in 1920. According to its website, patrollers are required to make sure other students behave appropriately and to teach fellow students about traffic and bike safety.

The idea of bringing the Safety Patrol Program to Greenport, Mr. Tsaveras said, arose in June, when he and teacher Roseanne Gianmugnai were discussing student safety. 

“It started from brainstorming ways to help the pre-K students,” he said. “We wanted to get another student with them on the bus, so they had a familiar face when the year started. Then, we thought, ‘Well, it’d be good for all kids to have a familiar face getting on and off the bus.’ ” Each bus will have two regular patrol members who will ride in the morning and afternoon. 

Ms. Gianmugnai, who also serves as the school’s Safety Patrol adviser, said students who wanted to join the Safety Patrol had to complete applications that included answering a series of essay questions and obtaining parental permission and teacher approval. 

“We wanted the students to feel like this is a job,” she said. 

The student patrollers have been training for three weeks, working in conjunction with a AAA School Safety Patrol Club and the Southold Town Police Department. Ms. Gianmugnai said they’ve completed a series of training exercises during club meetings, most of which were provided by AAA. 

“We showed them where they needed to stand and what they needed to do,” she said. “The students, at this point, will start to run their own meetings.”

The meetings, Ms. Gianmugnai said, will be run by a club captain, lieutenant and two sergeants she will select. This month, she said, she’s on the lookout for independent, dutiful patrollers to nominate for these positions. They will also monitor the other patrollers. 

“We’re keeping an eye out for the shooting stars of the group,” Ms. Gianmugnai said. 

Mr. Simmons said that by working alongside students, he’s formed relationships with them. They often greet him with high-fives in the hallway, he said. 

“This is really helping to foster a good relationship between the police department and the youth in this community,” he said.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

Photo caption: During dismissal, Greenport UFSD student patrollers block other students from exiting the building, waiting for buses to be completely stopped. (Kate Nalepinski photo)

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Southold Blotter: Mattituck man arrested for driving while intoxicated

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Clinton Cameron, 33, of Mattituck was arrested for driving while intoxicated on Route 25 in Mattituck Saturday around 9:22 a.m. after leaving the scene of a dispute, according to Southold Town police.

• A Mattituck business owner reported unknown subjects breaking into her shed, breaking its rear window to gain access and damaging the front door lock upon exit, last Thursday around 9 a.m., police said. Nothing was taken from inside the shed, but damage was estimated at about $250, the report states.

• A New Suffolk woman reported that political signs were stolen from her front yard last Tuesday around 4:30 p.m., officials said.

• The Southold Fire Department responded when a Shelter Island man reported a dumpster fire at Bayview Apartments in Southold last Monday around 11:45 a.m., police said. Police said the cause of the fire was thought to have been a resident emptying the cigarette butt container into the dumpster.

• A Cutchogue man was selling furniture on the street on Crown Land Lane in Cutchogue without a permit Saturday around 1:30 p.m., according to Southold Town police. When confronted by police, he said he had a permit from a previous week that was rained out. He was advised that he must obtain a new permit in the future, police said.

• An Old Bethpage resident was issued a citation last Thursday for driving an 80,000-pound tractor trailer on Love Lane, where the vehicle weight limit is 10,000 pounds, police said. The driver said he was following the directions of the GPS, police said.

• A 28-by-32-foot sailboat sank behind a Southold home Friday in Long Island Sound, with its mast up and one sail raised, police said. Officers cannot identify the owner of the vessel, which appears to be completely destroyed, police said.

• On Sunday, a Cutchogue man reported a robbery at his farm stand in Southold, police said. Unknown people were able to pry open the cash register drawer and took approximately $30 in cash, the report states.

Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.

The post Southold Blotter: Mattituck man arrested for driving while intoxicated appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Woman airlifted after suffering burns in house fire

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A woman was airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center after suffering burns from a fire that sparked in her Southold home Wednesday morning, according to Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley.

The fire in the Jasmine Lane home started shortly after 11 a.m. and firefighters from the Southold, Greenport and Cutchogue fire departments all responded to the scene.

Peggy Killian, 1st assistant chief of the Southold Fire Department, said a man in the house was also transported to a local hospital for injuries.

Smoke could be seen from the outside of the home, although flames weren’t visible. The fire started in the basement and spread to the first floor of the two-story home, Chief Killian said.

A Suffolk police medevac landed at the Southold Fire Department substation to transport the victim, who also sustained smoke inhalation. Her condition was not immediately available.

One of three cats in the home died as a result of the fire, Chief Killian said. Two of the cats had not yet been located, she said.

This post will be updated as more information is available

Photo caption: Firefighters outside the home Wednesday morning. (Credit: Jeremy Garretson)

Firefighters place a ladder against the house. (Credit: Jeremy Garretson)

The post Woman airlifted after suffering burns in house fire appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Peconic Star crew rescues man clinging to capsized boat in Sound

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A Nesconset man was rescued from a capsized boat in Long Island Sound Thursday morning after clinging to the vessel for 30 minutes.

Dave Brennan, captain of Peconic Star Express, said he was on his way to Fishers Island with 14 customers aboard when he noticed a man hanging on the edge of an overturned boat.

“We tossed him a lifering, then we got him onto our boat,” he said.

The capsized boat was northeast of Little Gull Island, according to Southold Town police.

Mr. Brennan relayed the situation to Southold police via radio just after 10 a.m., and bay constables were alerted to assist. The man in the water, identified as Conroy Lee, was wearing a life jacket, police said.

Mr. Lee, who had rented the 24-foot boat to fish near Fishers Island, was transported via a Southold police boat to Orient by the Sea Marina where members of the Orient Fire Department were waiting to assist, police said.

Bill Wysocki, chief of the Orient Fire Department, said the man did not sustain any injuries and he was released.

Mr. Brennan, who has been working on the water for 40 years, said it took him 10 minutes to safely pull the man aboard. He said Peconic Star emergency drills prepared him for the situation. Peconic Star Express is based in Greenport and typically sails from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“We knew what to do,” he said. “He’s really lucky we got to him in time.”

Bill Lieblein, owner of Port of Egypt Marine, said Mr. Lee had rented his boat to fish, as he has done regularly in the past.

Mr. Lieblein said Mr. Lee was having problems with the boat’s anchor.

“He was anchored from the bow and the boat started tipping,” Mr. Lieblein said. “He ran to get a a knife to cut the line for the stern, but he didn’t get to it fast enough and it flipped over.”

Shortly after Mr. Lieblein discovered Mr. Lee was safe on land, he searched for his boat with Peter Douglass, of Douglass Marine. Mr. Brennan soon found the boat north of where the incident occurred. Mr. Douglass successfully brought the boat to shore.

He said the boat did not sustain any significant damage, but the engine may need repair.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

The post Peconic Star crew rescues man clinging to capsized boat in Sound appeared first on Suffolk Times.

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