Port Jefferson Village code enforcement officers resign over mayor’s firearm restrictions
Andrew Owen, code enforcement bureau chief for the Village of Port Jefferson, tells News 12 that he announced his resignation last Monday.
More Stories
There are safety concerns in Port Jefferson Village after the chief code enforcement officer tells News 12 he plans to leave his job. He says that he's not the only one.
Andrew Owen, code enforcement bureau chief for the Village of Port Jefferson, tells News 12 that he announced his resignation last Monday.
"This whole firearms business…the straw that broke that camel's back," said Owen.
As News 12 has reported, the Village Board recently voted to ban Village employees from carrying firearms on duty.
The decision came after Mayor Lauren Sheprow told News 12 that a code enforcement officer left a gun in a public bathroom at Village Hall last month.
Owen claims the fallout from the decision – and what he says was poor communication about it - has led to at least seven officers resigning.
And now he's raising concerns about whether there will be enough Code Enforcement officers.
"You have the busiest drinking night of the year coming up, the day before Thanksgiving...I don't know where that stands, we usually have about six or seven guys working..." Owen said.
Some Village residents tell News 12 that they are also uneasy.
"If the people start resigning then...maybe one day we don't have anybody," said Joga Singh, owner of Elegant Affairs.
Sheprow says the resignations of the Code Enforcement Officers will not compromise safety. She also told News 12 that the Village is hiring more officers and has received more than 30 applications.
Suffolk police tell News 12 they will patrol the Village more frequently.
