(Suffolk County, NY) New York State Assemblyman Steve Stern and Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney are proud to announce that the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office will receive a $250,000 grant for the purchase and installation of ShotSpotter technology to assist the DA’s office and the Suffolk County Police Department’s (SCPD) Second Precinct in reducing gun violence in the Town of Huntington.

ShotSpotter technology is an important component of the over $1 million public safety package Assemblyman Stern delivered to the Suffolk DA’s office and the SCPD that will enhance their efforts to keep us safe.

“Keeping our families and neighborhoods safe is always my top priority,” said Assemblyman Steve Stern. “That’s why I am so proud to partner with District Attorney Tierney to provide critically important funding for local law enforcement to ensure they have the resources necessary to protect our communities, particularly during these challenging times.”

The ShotSpotter system can detect the location of where a gun was fired. Once the shots are detected, the information is then relayed to local law enforcement. On June 16, 2022, DA Tierney appeared before the Suffolk County Legislature and requested funding for the program throughout Suffolk. Assemblyman Stern immediately responded to the District Attorney’s powerful and urgent call with the funding needed to help keep Huntington neighborhoods safe.

“I want to thank Assemblyman Stern for not just talking about the importance of public safety, but also taking action to ensure that we can get ShotSpotter restarted here in Suffolk County. These funds will allow us to start in Huntington Station,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney. “This important law enforcement tool will prevent people from pulling the trigger because they know that in mere minutes there will be a response from police to investigate where that gun shot came from and render quick aid to victims. It will save lives.”

In addition to the ShotSpotter funding, Assemblyman Stern also secured the following New York State grants as part of his public safety package:

• $500,000 for the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office to enhance and update electronic surveillance equipment in order to strengthen the DA's ability to investigate and prosecute violent gangs in Suffolk County.

• $250,000 for the Suffolk County Police Department for mobile license plate readers used to apprehend dangerous criminals.

• $10,000 for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, which can be utilized at the DA’s discretion to support law enforcement, prosecution and crime prevention.

“I believe it’s safe to say that on behalf of the more than 200,000 residents in the Town of Huntington, we are extremely grateful and fortunate for the tireless efforts of New York State Assemblyman Steve Stern to keep us safe,” said Ken-Patrick Johnson, a local Huntington community leader and recent graduate of the SCPD’s 2022 Civilian Academy. “Public safety is the primary concern of all New Yorkers right now. With the allocation of this crucial funding secured by the Assemblyman, District Attorney Tierney and his partners at the SCPD will have more physical resources to assist them in getting perpetrators off the street.”

“Gun violence continues to rob us of too many lives throughout New York State,” said Assemblyman Stern. “For far too long, we have faced tragedy after tragedy, in schools, houses of worship, where we work and places of recreation. We are all entitled to be safe in our daily lives and I remain committed to protecting our Long Island communities and preserving our suburban quality of life. I thank District Attorney Tierney and the hardworking men and women of law enforcement for their ongoing neighborhood safety efforts. This is the moral issue of our time and the time for action is now.”