State troopers may take over Long Island highway patrols

Does this change mean that SCPD officers will be making the same money and work less?

Will our taxes go down?
or ....will they get another increase?

This is evidence Steve Levy doesn't truly care about the safety of Suffolk residents. The State Police, which currently patrol the Northern State Parkway and the Southern State Parkway, regularly need to have the Suffolk County Police respond to accidents for them until they can get there. This is because the troopers are understaffed. In taking over the LIE and Sunrise Highway, they are being asked to do so with a much smaller number of troopers than is truly needed. This means that when they need help on the LIE or the Southern State Parkway, regular sector cars will have to leave their posts to assist the State Police. If the sector cars are assisting the troopers, the Suffolk Police Officers will not be available to patrol our neighborhoods or answer the 911 calls. The current Suffolk Highway Patrol does not need to pull sector cars out of our neighborhoods to help on the LIE and Sunrise Highway. Steve Levy is about to change all of that. Steve Levy tells the public he is doing a good thing, yet he is really creating a public safety issue for our residents. He won't tell you that because he has no problem misrepresenting the actual facts on this and other issues to the public. When the citizens of Suffolk County wake up and see Steve Levy for what he really is, he will be looking for a new job.

TIME TO CHANGE THE SPEED LIMIT ON THE LIE AND SUNRISE TO 75mph otherwise the "supertroopers" will bring traffic to a crawl with their 56/55 ticket blitz!! I for one am ready to join the 55mph Leftlane Roadblock Crew to pressure elected officials to change the limit to what it already "really is". And by the way, in case you did not know, the speed limit on the LIE is 55 right lane, 65 middle lane, and 75 left lane. Anyone driving LESS THAN 55mph on a major highway should be arrested for endangering the public!

This is just more stumping and bluffing on Levy's part. Of course, the county can't save "Millions" and Newsday should be ashamed for reporting that. The officers employed on Highway Patrol cannot be fired, they're already senior members of the PD in sought after positions. They'd all be re-assigned & need training in their new positions,as would all the officers they'd displace.

Fran wrote:

This is evidence Steve Levy doesn't truly care about the safety of Suffolk residents. The State Police, which currently patrol the Northern State Parkway and the Southern State Parkway, regularly need to have the Suffolk County Police respond to accidents for them until they can get there. This is because the troopers are understaffed. In taking over the LIE and Sunrise Highway, they are being asked to do so with a much smaller number of troopers than is truly needed. This means that when they need help on the LIE or the Southern State Parkway, regular sector cars will have to leave their posts to assist the State Police. If the sector cars are assisting the troopers, the Suffolk Police Officers will not be available to patrol our neighborhoods or answer the 911 calls. The current Suffolk Highway Patrol does not need to pull sector cars out of our neighborhoods to help on the LIE and Sunrise Highway. Steve Levy is about to change all of that. Steve Levy tells the public he is doing a good thing, yet he is really creating a public safety issue for our residents. He won't tell you that because he has no problem misrepresenting the actual facts on this and other issues to the public. When the citizens of Suffolk County wake up and see Steve Levy for what he really is, he will be looking for a new job.

I totally agree with you... The LIE is very well patroled by the NCPD and SCPD's. I scares me to think of all the safety issues that will arise due to lack of presence of the State Troopers... Rarely do I ever notice their presence on the Southern State or Meadowbrook Pkwys... I have always been impressed with the Suffolk presence on the Highways...much better then Nassau or the State Troopers.... I think this is a grave injustice to the people of both Nassau and Suffolk that must travel these roads on a daily basis and on the State Troopers who as it is do not have enough manpower to adequetly patrol now.

Well, while we're at it, why aren't the Troopers patrolling / handling all calls on all State roads.. Like SR's 25, 25A, 27, 27A etc..

It's all or none...

This is not good. Troopers will never let you out of a ticket, whereas Suffolk and Nassau cops are more reasonable, especially if you have a PBA card.

As it is now SCPD highway patrol is doing a bad job of patrolling rt.27 so who will miss them? Cars speeding in excess of 90 miles an hour seems to be the norm whole the highway patrol sits on the median doing?

Steve your SCPD Highway units are a joke....

Not Happy wrote:

This is not good. Troopers will never let you out of a ticket, whereas Suffolk and Nassau cops are more reasonable, especially if you have a PBA card.

Are you actually saying/admitting that both SCPD & NCPD let people out of tickets if they make a donation?

That would be considered bribery & neglect of duty ("selective enforcement"). Probably numerous other violations.

Both violate the oaths taken by law officers. Therefore they would probably be guilty of numerous crimes (not that our court systems would ever find an officer guilty of anything).

"Frayler said there were 5,882 accidents on the LIE and Sunrise Highway in 2007 alone."

Curious to know how many of those rear-enders due to tailgating at any speed?

I doubt the NYSP can provide the same coverage the NCPD / SCPD Now provide on the LIE/SOB expressways in the time frame stated. as a retired NYPD police supervisor I can tell you over 20 yrs ago the NYS police sated they would take over the highway coverage in NYC, that never happened because they did not have the additional personnel to provide adequate coverage 24/7 as it will be in the long island situation.

The Suffolk County PBA say that these two roads are number one and two in the State of New york as far as fatal accidents go, well if thats true by there own admissions why don't they just let the Troopers due the job. The Troopers presence alone will deter drivers from those high speeds they are doing. The highway patrols can then cover the neighborhoods and save the Suffolk County tax payers the money they deserve to save. If the State Troopers can do all of these other highways around the entire state I can't see a few extra miles of roadway being to difficult, even if they had less patrols they would write more tickets. What do the State Police do best - work highway patrol! Sounds like a no brainer.

didit wrote:

Well, while we're at it, why aren't the Troopers patrolling / handling all calls on all State roads.. Like SR's 25, 25A, 27, 27A etc..
It's all or none...

I did not realize these were controlled access highways also!

Troopers do not have the personel to take over the State roads.
Remember, fatal auto accidents will have to be investigated by the troopers. They simply don't have the staff to investigate the overwhelming amount of serious or fatal accidents.
With it's decline,Long Island will be a ghost town within the next 10 years.

I think it would be great to have the State Troopers patrol the LIE and Sunrise. I know several people who have been involved in accidents in Suffolk and have waited 20-30 minutes for a Suffolk cop to show up, if they showed at all. That 6-8 minute response time is a joke! In addition, the Nassau and Suffolk Highway Patrols are rude and unprofessional. My wife was given the finger by a Suffolk Highway Patrol Officer while he was in uniform in a patrol car when she didn't get out of the way fast enough! Real professional! The Nassau and Suffolk taxpayers are already paying for the Troopers, why pay an additional 12 Million to have Nassau and Suffolk Patrol the highways! Were paying enough taxes as it is.

has any thought that maybe the State Troopers will bring in more manpower from upstate or hire more people.
if that is the case - think about it - there will be more police presence in the county. might actually help fight crime

Finally Levy and Suozzi are nstanding up for the taxpayers who elected them. We need relief from the high cost of living on Long Island. The troopers are professional and do a great job. I take the northern state into Queens on a daily basis and it is a much smoother ride than the LIE. I have never felt unsafe of this road.This is a step in the right direction!!!!

I agree that we as long islanders deserve to have our highway patrol on the LIE. Having them there gives a feeling of safety to us drivers should accidents arise. I don't think holding up the state for more aid should be done at our expense

ken wrote:

Troopers do not have the personel to take over the State roads.
Remember, fatal auto accidents will have to be investigated by the troopers. They simply don't have the staff to investigate the overwhelming amount of serious or fatal accidents.
With it's decline,Long Island will be a ghost town within the next 10 years.

Fatal auto accidents will decline from all the speeding tickets being handed out by the State Troopers - well glad that problem was handled