Southold Town Police Department

Law enforcement in the Town of Southold dates back to 1640 when the land was first settled. The land was purchased under the authority of the New Haven colony, and Southold's town was managed similarly to other colonies under New Haven's control. The local government existed through the church, and all cases, criminal and civil, were heard by a court of judges following the "laws of God." The court established rules regulating highways, property, and common areas. These rules were enforced by every man in the town, who were required to carry their own guns and ammunition. When called upon, the local militia assembled in the town to enforce laws.[3]

The town's police department, as it exists today, was established under Southold Town Code § 51 on September 29, 1964. The town's code created a structure for the standing police force, including the department's authority and duties.[4]

In November of 1994, the Southold Police Department's authority expanded to include the Village of Greenport. The Greenport Village Police Department disbanded after a series of scandals led to a grand jury investigation.[5]

In 2017, the Southold Police Department began the process of accreditation with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. The accreditation standardizes law enforcement throughout the state, bringing transparency, increased cooperation, standardized training, and more benefits to the department. The process included adjusting the department's standing rules and regulations to the state's standard. Southold Police is the last police department in Suffolk County to seek accreditation with the state.[6]

In 2019, the Southold Police Department responded to 18,776 reports of crime and made 139 arrests. The department also responded to 836 motor vehicle accidents and assisted local fire departments in 2,028 aid cases.[9] A 2019 safety index combining FBI crime statistics and law enforcement employee to resident ratio rated the Town of Southold as the 4th safest community in New York State.[10]

• On October 14, 2014, Southold Police apprehended three suspects in a Peconic shooting where two people were seriously injured. The three suspects, Pedro Emilio Santamaria, Jeremias Nathaniel Recinos Torres, and Walter Vasquez, were all charged with first-degree assault after firing five bullets and attacking the victims with a machete. Santamaria and Torres were also charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Police officers connected the shooters with MS-13, while the two victims were affiliated with the rival gang Mara-18. Officers found Santamaria and Torres a short distance from the scene with a loaded .22 caliber pistol. Vasquez was later arrested at Greenport High School.[16][17]
• In July 2015, a drunk driver crashed into a limousine on Suffolk County Route 48 in Cutchogue, killing four women and injuring five others. Steven Romeo, the driver of the truck, fled the scene of the crash on foot and was later apprehended by police officers. Romeo was charged with driving under the influence, with a blood alcohol content level of .06 at the time of the crash. Romeo was forced to pay a $500 fine and have his license suspended for 90 days. The limo driver, Carlos Pino, was charged with criminally negligent homicide, failure to yield the right of way, and other charges after attempting to make the illegal U-turn that caused the crash.[18][19]

• In May 2003, Officer Steven Zuhoski was found liable by a federal jury for beating John Mims, a black resident, severely enough to cause unconsciousness and require stitches and staples to close his head wounds. The jury found that Zuhoski committed civil battery after he stopped Mims for suspected possession of a stolen vehicle. Despite this, the jurors cleared Officer Zuhoski, and Sergeant John Sinning, who was also involved in the incident, of their excessive force and racial bias charges. Both officers involved in the case were allowed to remain on full active duty.[20]
• In June 2016, former Southold Police Officer Garrett Lake filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the department. The lawsuit claimed that a number of arrests, including the arrest of fire chief David McKillop for drunk driving and limo driver Steven Romeo for a deadly accident, caused the Jamesport fire department and local Republican Party to "pressure" the Town Board into terminating Mr. Lake's employment. Despite Mr. Lake winning Suffolk County's “Top DWI Cop” award, Town Supervisor Scott Russell denied the allegations and cited job performance as the reason for termination.[21]
• In September 2017, former Southold Police Officers Joseph Wysocki and David Hunstein filed a petition with the Suffolk County Supreme Court to challenge the Town's decision to terminate their employment. Both Wysocki and Hunstein sustained injuries while on duty and were deemed permanently unfit to perform the full duties of a police officer. Under New York General Municipal Law, Section 207, police officers and firefighters on disability are entitled to full salary and benefits. After Wysocki and Hunstein respectively received $950,000 and $600,000 in benefits, Town Supervisor Scott Russell stated in his 2016 town address that he wished to establish a time limit on disability leave.[22]
• In November 2019, a boat accident at the James Creek left one person dead and three others injured. One of the injured, Frank DiStefano, alleged that the Southold Police Department made false statements when he was arrested and charged with operating the boat while intoxicated. The Suffolk County District Attorney's office obtained a toxicology report that showed DiStefano was not intoxicated at the time of the crash, clearing him of the charge.[8]
• In May 2020, the department was under investigation for allegations that police officers dismissed phone calls about the retirement party of Sergeant Steven Zuhoski. Witnesses say they saw dozens of people on the Cutchogue property, violating state-mandated social distancing orders.[23]

• In the ABC television series Emergence, actress Allison Tolman plays the chief of a fictionalized Southold Town Police Department.[24]

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• List of Long Island law enforcement agencies