The Justice Department announced today the successful completion of an agreement between Suffolk County, New York, Police Department (SCPD) and the Department of Justice. Entered into in 2014, the agreement called for SCPD to improve bias-free policing, increase community engagement, and develop additional policies and training, among other things. With support from the Justice Department, as set forth in a report issued today, SCPD has now achieved sustained substantial compliance with all of the agreement’s terms.
“Suffolk County Police Department’s commitment to protecting the public in a constitutionally compliant way is commendable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Department of Justice is committed to collaborating with law enforcement to make American communities safer.”
“The Suffolk County Police Department is to be commended for taking the steps necessary to achieve the objectives of the 2014 agreement with the Department of Justice and our Office,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Policing in Suffolk County has been enhanced and become more responsive to community needs. The partnership between our Office and the SCPD has strengthened the safety of all residents of the County.”
SCPD implemented language assistance policies and deployed resources to ensure that people with Limited English Proficiency have meaningful access to police services. It improved reporting and supervision throughout the department. It also improved policies, training, and tracking to better handle hate crimes and misconduct complaints.
Please click here to read the Cover Letter and Final Suffolk Report