Suffolk PD, feds partner to curb gun violence

Suffolk Deputy Police Commissioner Tim Sini announced a partnership with the FBI and ATF Thursday in an effort to combat violent firearm-related crimes in certain communities. The Firearms Suppression

News 12 Staff

Jan 22, 2016, 4:20 AM

Updated 3,164 days ago

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Suffolk Deputy Police Commissioner Tim Sini announced a partnership with the FBI and ATF Thursday in an effort to combat violent firearm-related crimes in certain communities.
The Firearms Suppression Team, also known as FAST, will consist of 15 members of the Suffolk Police Department. Sini says it will focus on Wyandanch, Central Islip, Brentwood, North Amityville, North Bellport and Huntington Station. He said that two detectives will also be assigned to the ATF.
Sini says the department will create a "hot list," which will include individuals who police have determined are committing most of the violence in Suffolk County.
"We will target those individuals. We will increase patrols and we will build cases against these individuals," says Sini.
Jason Starr, of the Long Island chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, says the "hot list" might go too far.
"Several different constitutional protections might be breeched in this full deployment," Starr tells News 12 Long Island.
Suffolk police also announced an expedited rewards program for people who call Crime Stoppers with a tip about illegal firearms or crimes associated with them. Tipsters will get $500 within two weeks if that tip leads to an arrest.