Riverhead, NY – On Tuesday April 11th, Legislators Bridget Fleming and Al Krupski coordinated with the Suffolk County Police Department and Suffolk Community College to hold the first ever East End Police Recruitment Event aimed at increasing diversity in the Suffolk County Police Force as well as among local East End Police Departments. Also present were Deputy County Executives Vanessa Baird-Streeter and Jon Kaiman. The panel of sponsors included were Legislator Al Krupski, Legislator Bridget Fleming, Deputy County Executive Vanessa Baird-Streeter, Dr. James Banks (Chair of Multicultural Affairs at Suffolk Community College), Germain Smith (Shinnecock Nation Trustee and Southampton Town Police Dispatcher), Deputy Chief Stan Grodski, and Suffolk County Police Officers Thomas Joy and Tom DiLena (from the Office of Police Recruitment).
The topics in the presentation included opportunities in departmental units, career advancement options, and the generous civil service benefits that come with careers on the police force. Officers Thomas Joy and Tom DiLena also reviewed the requirements for applying for the Police Exam as well as subsequent background checks and physical fitness tests for those who move on to the next step. Upon admission, prospective officers are admitted into the Police Academy and undergo extensive academic and field training. The panel took numerous questions from attendees to help answer questions about positions in the departments, discussed what the test is like, and explained the onboarding process, among many other topics.
The event had an attendance of over 75 people, many of whom were college students. 17 signed up on site to take the exam while many others took the applications home to sign up. Local East End Police Departments were also present to help with recruitment.
“It is critically important that police departments reflect the communities they serve. As a former prosecutor, I can say that a career in Law Enforcement can be challenging and rewarding, makes you part of a family committed to keeping our communities safe, and helps people. I want to thank the Suffolk County Police Department for their incredible outreach to the community and for collaborating with our office to bring a diverse group of individuals to apply for the exam,” said Legislator Fleming.
Legislator Krupski stated “I applaud the Suffolk County Police Department, Riverhead Police Department, and Southold Police Department for the informative presentation and community-based efforts. So many will benefit from this recruitment event and I am happy to have teamed up with Legislator Fleming’s Office to make these opportunities available to our future Police Officers who will serve our community.”
"I was excited and encouraged by the amount of prospective candidates who attended the East End Recruitment session for the Suffolk County Police Department and East End agencies," said Deputy County Executive Vanessa Baird-Streeter. "Meaningful dialogue and pertinent information was shared and attendees had the opportunity to be exposed to a variety of career paths within law enforcement."
"The Suffolk County Police Department is a premier law enforcement agency in the nation that provides the highest salaries, best retirement plans and amazing benefits. We hope that you will join the team that makes Suffolk County one of the safest communities in the nation. Visit JoinSCPD.com and sign up for the police exam today” said Suffolk County Police Officer Thomas Joy, from the Office of Recruitment
The Application Deadline is Wednesday, April 19th 2023 for the June 17th Exam. For more information, interested applicants can go to JoinSCPD.com
Featured (L-R): Officer Tom DiLena, Mohinder Taneja, Leg. Al Krupski, Deputy Chief Stan Grodski, Leg. Bridget Fleming, Deputy County Executive Jon Kaiman, Deputy County Executive Vanessa Baird-Streeter, Germain Smith, and Officer Thomas Joy