Suffolk police and town officials say a crackdown on crime in violence-plagued Huntington Station is working.
Suffolk Police Commissioner Tim Sini says violent crime is down 12.9 percent in Huntington Station this year over last. Sini adds that the crime rate for the past 28 days is down 71.4 percent compared to the same period last year.
"That's the result of the hard work of the men and women in the 2nd Precinct, who are out there engaging in intelligence-led policing and targeted enforcement," Sini says.
Back in 2014, Huntington Station made headlines often. There were a number of shootings, and 18-year-old Maggie Rosales was found murdered on Lynch Street. Since then, residents say they've seen more officers on their streets and more of an effort to stop violence.
Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone also credits community input for the drop in statistics. "The community has come forward -- they are the eyes and ears," he says.
But some residents say there is still work to be done.
"Statistics are wonderful, but if we're still having the same problems then statistics don't mean a thing to me," says Dolores Thompson, of the civic group Community Conversation.