Southold Town Awarded $1M+ For New Police Cars, Radios

NORTH FORK, NY — The Southold Police Department was recently awarded a grant for new vehicles and radio upgrades.

United States Rep. Nick LaLota held a press event in Southold earlier in July to announce a Community Project Funding grant in the amount of $1,004,558.

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The funding will be utilized to acquire 10 new Ford Explorer police vehicles, as well as 20 multi-band portable radios that will enable Town of Southold police officers to communicate seamlessly with all law enforcement departments across Suffolk County and with officers deployed to Fishers Island, nearly 30 miles offshore, LaLota said.

The dual-band capability ensures officers can communicate on both the current VHF radio channel and the county-wide system, "dramatically improving" coordination during emergencies and routine patrols across the town's geographically challenging service area, he added.

LaLota said he was happy to "bring back more than $1 million in tax dollars back home" to the community and town officials.

The vehicles and radios, he said, will help police "do their tough and dangerous jobs a little better. Our cops work hard. They keep us safe, and these hardworking police deserve to have good equipment to help them in this tough and dangerous job."

The funds will also help the Southold Town board with their budget, LaLota said, with the challenge always in balancing a budget and keeping life affordable — while providing invaluable services to residents.

Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski thanked Southold Police Chief Steve Grattan and the Southold Town police department, the Southold Town board, and LaLota, for the funding.

"As police commissioners, we take our role seriously. Public safety is not to be taken for granted," Krupski said. "It's our responsibility to ensure proper funding for staffing, equipment and training."

He added: "It is our 250th year as a great nation. It is important to work together across all demographics as Americans. I know with the aid and support of Congressman LaLota, we will be able to fund the basics of public safety here in town. These tools are very important to our operations and we really appreciate his attention here and his help."

LaLota said police "risk their own safety. They take away time from their own families. Their families send them away to their shifts here so that we can be safe. We don't take that for granted. We appreciate that. And one of the ways we say thanks is we bring money like to make sure they have the equipment they need to do their jobs."

"This is a significant investment in public safety in our community," Grattan said.

The funds will be used for front-line patrol vehicles, to replace aging vehicles used 24/7 to respond to emergencies and patrol the community, Grattan said.

The dual band radios will also improve interoperability with neighboring jurisdictions and enhance communications with state, county and other police departments, he said.

LaLota also said the appropriations committee has brought $27.1 million in FY26 for community projects such as public safety, water quality and infrastructure. That number is expected to increase to $46 million for FY27, he said, number one of 26 congressional districts in New York, LaLota added.

LaLota also looked ahead to dredging, which he said is scheduled for Mattituck Inlet and Bailie Beach in the coming months.