SCPD First Squad Gets New Chief

Life-long Babylon resident Gerard Gigante, a 26-year veteran in the Suffolk Police Department, is now heading up the First Precinct on Route 109, which covers the surrounding area, including Lindenhurst.

Inspector Gigante spent more than an hour meeting community activists and residents during last Wednesday night’s monthly community meeting.

Gigante, who formed and led the county’s gang unit for the past two years, replaces Inspector Cornelius “Rusty” McKenna who has taken a position within the patrol division at Yaphank headquarters. McKenna, a 30-year SCPD veteran, had served as the First Precinct chief since November 2009.

McKenna, a graduate of the FBI National Academy, has a long and distinguished career track. He began as a patrol officer in the Third Precinct and Marine Bureau. Upon promotion to sergeant, he served as the commanding officer of the Domestic Violence & Elder Abuse Bureau, and as the commanding officer of the Grants Development Section. As lieutenant, he served the Office of the Chief of Support Services, and later as the executive officer of the Office of Homeland Security and Anti-Terrorism.

Gigante–chosen to head up the county’s newly formed gang task force unit in 2009–has also headed up the Patrol Special Operations Bureau. Early in his career he was honored for heroic action and named cop of the year at the Third Precinct in 1989.

At Wednesday’s meeting, which included an overview of the Special Victims department, Gigante introduced himself to the audience of nearly a dozen residents, noting it was his first day on the job.

 “I’m here to meet everyone and become familiar with your community issues and concerns,” he said.

Under his leadership, the 20-officer, anti-gang effort resulted in dozens of arrests of South Shore gang members within a few short months.