The new task force consists of concerned residents, parents and community leaders and aims to put forth a coordinated effort to stem the drug and alcohol problem among the youth in Lindenhurst today.
Find out what's happening in Lindenhurstfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Lindenhurst Mayor Tom Brennan has formed a new drug task force aimed at combating the escalating drug and alcohol problem among the youth in the community.
Dubbed the Mayor’s Task Force on Youth Alcohol & Drug Use, Brennan officially announced its formation at the April 23 Clean Up Lindenhurst community meeting at the LMS.
Find out what's happening in Lindenhurstfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
He told residents in attendance, “The Mayor’s Task Force seeks to raise community awareness about local youth substance abuse and to make recommendations for community interventions to reduce youth use.”
To that end, he explained the Mayor’s Drug & Alcohol Task Force is a coalition of individuals and organizations coming together from all sectors of the community to address a common goal: a healthy environment for the drug-and-alcohol-free development of our youth and families.
“It is clearly understood that illegal drugs and underage drinking exist in all communities. The Mayor’s Drug & Alcohol Task Force was implemented to address the current situation here in the Village of Lindenhurst,” Brennan added.
Coordination, Not Duplication
According to the mayor, there’s currently some great efforts by numerous groups and organizations taking a stance against drug abuse and underage drinking. Among those most prominent in the past year have been Lindenhurst Community Cares Coalition and Clean Up Lindenhurst.
Brennan assured, “My task force is not looking to duplicate what’s already being done, but instead to help coordinate the efforts of the various groups and to lend ‘an official arm’ to those groups.”
The mayor said he fully expects the task force will play a major role in getting the laws changed concerning drug convictions. One of his first priorities is to encourage and coordinate petitions to both county and state officials to address the weaknesses in the current laws, he indicated.
According to the mission of the Mayor’s Task Force on Youth Alcohol & Drug Use, members are “advocates for and with youth, committed to creating a community where our youth can lead healthy lives free of alcohol and drug use.”
Task Force Board
The board of the Mayor’s Task Force consists of Lindenhurst residents, appointed by the mayor, as well as by task force board’s chairman, Lance Walker.
Walker was asked to head up the task force board by Mayor Brennan. He and his family are not only long-time residents of Lindenhurst Village, but he is also the publisher and founder of this publication, The Lindenhurst Gazette, and website, www.lindygazette.com.
In addition to Walker, the new task force includes representatives from the Lindenhurst Board of Education, local law enforcement agencies, the village board, local Lindy church organizations, youth sports, scouting organizations and youth organizations – including the Lindenhurst Youth Center, Lindenhurst Moose Lodge and Lindenhurst Key Club – as well as business organizations.
They include John Mansfield, TAL president; Chris Delaney, who works for Suffolk County government; Frank Panzarella, president, Clean Up Lindenhurst; Val McKenna, BOE trustee; Rev. Rick Mullins, Evangel Church of God; James Campbell, LHS assistant principal; Christina Colucci Noonan, director, Daytop Village; Maddi Arrigali, who’s with the Heer Park-Meridale Civic and the recording secretary for the task force; RJ Renna, President of Lindenhurst Kiwanis Club Judith Raimondi, Lindenhurst Community Cares Coalition; Chris Vourtis, the website and social media manager for the task force; and an officer from the Suffolk County Police COPE unit.
According to Brennan, the purpose of the task force’s board will be to coordinate data, functions and resources for the common goal of a drug-and-alcohol-free environment for Lindenhurst youth.
Additionally, the Mayor will appoint a representative to be a liaison with local law enforcement to assist with coordinating the implementation of a community watch program, as well as with providing an accurate avenue of vital statistics necessary for program direction.
