The crime-plagued community of Huntington Station is considering a controversial plan that would create a "safety zone" where known gang members would be prohibited from meeting.
County Executive Steve Levy (R-Suffolk) says getting a court injunction to create a "safety zone" would give police officers a much-needed enforcement tool.
As News 12 Long Island has reported, Levy first introduced the idea for Wyandanch last October. The NYCLU spoke out against it immediately, calling it "unconstitutional."
The NYCLU has filed a motion with the state Supreme Court opposing the county's bid to declare a gang-free "safety zone" for a 2-square mile area of Wyandanch. Levy, however, denies that the plan would violate people's constitutional rights.
"The county can't just randomly say, 'We think you're a member of a gang,'" Levy says. "You have to prove it in court."
Although Levy has been pushing for the "safety zone" initiative, he'll be leaving office in a month. It will be up to incoming County Executive Steve Bellone (D-Suffolk) to decide whether he wants to pursue it.