Huntington Hires Former Chief of Detectives as Huntington Station Liaison

The Town of Huntington has hired a crime czar to manage the rising number of violent crimes in Huntington Station.

Dominick Varrone, a former Suffolk County Police chief of detectives and second precinct commander, will work with police and the community on increasing security and cracking down on crime in Huntington Station, by serving as the town’s liaison, officials said Thursday.

The town board voted Thursday to retain Varrone’s company, Varron Solutions, with services expected to begin next week. The terms of the contract between Varrone and the town are not yet finalized, but the resolution appropriates a cost not to exceed $50,000.

News of the contract comes at a time when residents, after the Oct. 12 murder of 18-year-old Maggie Rosales, are demanding a stronger police presence to put a stop to crime in the area. The community has faced with four local murders in the last year.

Officials say the town has pledged code enforcement, building inspectors and fire marshals to work with the police on anti-crime measures. The town also recently reopened its Public Safety Annex on Depot Road to increase town public safety visibility in Huntington Station and to provide a location where community residents can seek information and pass on to the town information about situations that might warrant investigation and action.

Suffolk County Police have assigned a captain from headquarters to work at the Second Precinct, coordinating Huntington Station police efforts, including the work of the Huntington Station Violent Crimes Task Force. The town envisions Varrone working with that officer, Capt. Robert Waring, as well as with the representatives of the recently-formed Community Watch. Chief Varrone will be based in the Public Safety Annex.

Varrone retired three years ago after more than 39 years with the Suffolk County Police Department, rising through the ranks of the department to his final post as chief of detectives. Previously, he headed the department’s first Anti-Gang Task Force, was commander of the Kidnap Investigation Team and commanding officer of Second Precinct. During his tenure there, the Second Precinct received the chief of patrol’s “Award for Excellence,” and Varrone was selected by the Huntington Tri-Community and Youth Agency to its “Hall of Honor” for community service and dedication to youth. Varrone holds a master’s degree in criminal justice leadership from St. John’s University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Cortland.

“As the county and the town have been working to address community concerns about crime in Huntington Station, the need for a liaison with the police and the community became clear,” Town Supervisor Frank Petrone said. “With his distinguished police career and his rapport with and acceptance among members of Huntington Station’s diverse community, Dominick Varrone is the perfect choice for this assignment. I am thrilled that he has agreed to come out of retirement and accept this post.”