A public meeting on gang activity will unfold tonight in Peconic tonight.
According to Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley, the meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the Southold Town Recreation Center on Peconic Lane in Peconic.
Initially, the meeting was slated for December 4.
“The change is necessary because of two important meetings on this topic that were just scheduled during the second week of December, whose outcome could alter the presentation material being offered during this public forum. This will allow me to present the most current and accurate information to the public that is available,” Flatley said.
One meeting will include all heads of law enforcement agencies in Suffolk County and the District Attorney’s Office and the second is a gang roundtable meeting, Flatley said.
Representatives from local government, law enforcement and the North Fork school districts will be present at tonight’s meeting “to provide timely information on gang history and current trends, the exploration of school-based anti-gang programs, and efforts underway to address recent gang violence. All members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend,” a release announcing the event said.
The meeting follows a brutal gang attack in Southold last month between the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs that has sparked patrols by the Guardian Angels in Greenport, with an eye toward keeping the community safe.
Members of the Guardian Angels, a volunteer, citizen-based anti-crime organization, will be present at tonight’s meeting. Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell has said, of the group, “I think that if the Guardian Angels can galvanize the community into a productive action plan, that would be great. Gang activity is never a ‘local’ issue. The transient nature of the members very much makes it a regional challenge. I know that the local police department is working with other law enforcement agencies to try to address the issues involved. This approach should be very effective, not just for the pooling of resources, but for the expert insight of other agents that have specialized training and years of experience in gang activity.”
Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa applauded Russell’s outlook: “The Southold supervisor is very pragmatic. He understands the regional stretch of these gang activities. He knows that resources are limited locally to do battle with the growth and expansion of MS-13. Most importantly he accepts that other departments may be more experienced in combating MS-13 and 18th Street gangs. The important focus he has is mutual sharing of information and tracking the problem as it re-locates within the same region. I can easily see how our Guardian Angel plan can fit right in to this existing strategy. I look forward to meeting with the Southhold supervisor and sharing our strategies and experiences with him.”
Greenport Mayor David Nyce and Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley, however, has said that they believe the issues should be addressed by local law enforcement first.
Meanwhile, the first local citizens joined the Guardian Angels on patrol in Greenport last weekend.
