IGA Owner Opens Heart With 'Generous' Gift to Southold Police Department

SOUTHOLD, NY — A local business owner has a heart of gold.

Charles Reichert and his wife Ellen recently donated $340,000 to the Southold Police Department for upgrades to the department's dispatch room and radio communication upgrades.

Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley said contracts are "ready to sign" for the redo of the dispatch room.

The project with Motorola should take about six months to get up and running, he said, with the whole room finished by early spring.

"We did receive an extremely generous donation from the Charles and Helen Reichert Foundation," as a result of concerns for public safety in Southold, Flatley said.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said the generosity has long been a hallmark of Reichert's. A few years ago, the supervisor said, a generator was needed for the Peconic School, and Reichert stepped up; the same thing happened when the town needed a handicapped accessible ramp and the renovation of a gazebo.

"Hope he doesn't read about our need for a new justice court in the near future," Russell joked.

The $340,000 donation, Flatley said, covers the entire cost of the radio system upgrade project.

Flatley also gave an update of the project; he's received a copy of a report done by consultant Dennis Kentner, who evaluated the police department's current radio systems and checked each tower sites, including sites in Jamesport, Peconic, Greenport, and Orient, where antennas could be added.

Recommendations included upgrades, including siting antennas at a higher level and changing a number of sites to give the department better coverage in Greenport. In addition, antennas at the Mattituck and Cutchogue Fire Departments would be added.

Work will commence first in Greenport that is expected to result in an "immediate impact to our radio system," Flatley said. No work can begin until permission is received from owners of the towers. Mattituck will follow, with other sites to come, he said.

Officials at Motorola would like some time to review the report, Flatley said; feedback will also be garnered from Integrated Wireless.

While the town still has some funding from the county's 911 fees, the town is waiting on pricing before the project will proceed, Flatley said; each site will cost approximately $25,000. Work is expected to begin in October, he said.

Councilman Bob Ghosio asked whether any of the deficiencies noted on Sound-front beaches could be addressed.

Flatley said officers are "well aware of spots on the sound" where radio reception is poor due to bluffs, but said immediate improvement should be seen from antennas in Greenport and raised antennas in certain spots.

Radio concerns

After the decision had already been made by the town board to hire a consultant to upgrade police communications, a police officer was allegedly injured in Southold Town justice court by a defendant who had just been released.

Members of the PBA came to the town board to express their concerns.

In a statement at the time, Russell said, "The frustration of the Southold PBA of investing in an overhaul of the department’s communication system is understandable. Each member’s attendance at the last town board meeting underscores the need to move forward as quickly as we can. This is imperative to ensure, not just the safety of the officers but, the safety of the entire community."

But the supervisor said some may have misunderstood the town's stance on the need for the upgrades.

"There may be a misconception, however, that any delays are on the part of the town board. This board needs no prodding. It has made a firm commitment to make the resources available to the department as soon as the leadership there identifies a solution it deems the best," Russell said.

Russell said that commitment was reflected when Flatley first proposed the upgrades during the budget work session in 2014 and again in 2015.

After a police officer was allegedly injured in Southold Justice Court by an agitated homeless defendant, radios did not work, according to Southold Town Police Benevolent Association President Richard Buonaiuto, who came, along with a crowd of police officers and their families, to ask the town board for immediate attention to the issue.

Buonaiuto said he'd previously sent a letter to the town board, stating his concerns over failures by the radio system that "need to be addressed."

The issues, including dead zones, "have dragged on for several years and threaten the safety of my members, and the public."

He had already intended to appear at the Southold town board meeting to "inquire what steps are being taken to rectify this critical problem."

But then, "unfortunately," he said, the incident occurred; one police officer and two court officers were "involved in the altercation" with a defendant.

"Two calls" for help "went unheeded," Buonaiuto said. "They were not received by headquarters," due to radio issues.

"This is unacceptable and an example of many failed transmissions," he said.

Russell said the board had agreed to support Flatley's request for a consultant before the incident in justice court.

"Every year, this issues comes up and the board says the same thing: 'Tell us what you need and when you need it.' The funding mechanism is in place," Russell said. "The support is there. The money is there."

At an earlier work session, Flatley came to the board and requested $160,000 for the radio dispatch project, which he had earlier stated at a previous work session would cost approximately $390,000, or $340,000, if applied for before August 31, when a $50,000 incentive could be applied. Flatley said at that meeting that he had $180,000 in funding from the 911 surcharge fees.

Police chief outlines what transpired

As for the justice court incident, the supervisor said, "The court was outfitted with a panic button, two court officers and a police officer."

Discussing the details of the justice court incident, Flatley said, "The panic button was not used."

Police Officer Christopher Salmon sustained "a neck and back injury" during the justice court incident, Flatley said.

Describing how events unfolded, Flatley said the defendant, Michael Davis, "was released on his own recognizance by Judge William Price at justice court, therefore releasing him from our custody, and the handcuffs were taken off Davis. When officers were returning his property and paperwork, Davis became agitated and making threats and needed to be subdued by two court officers and P.O. Salmon."

The radio equipment was tested the following day and Flatley explained what he believes took place on the day of the alleged attack.

"During this physical altercation, Officer Salmon reported calling for assistance twice on his police portable radio and it was not received or acknowledged by dispatch; his third call to dispatch was received and assistance responded."

Police tested a portable radio later in the day at the same location, Flatley said. "It was found that when the portable radio was on an officer’s hip using an external mike the call was not received by dispatch. When the portable radio was raised to shoulder level, the call was received by dispatch."

He added, "Unfortunately, a portable radio does not have as strong and dependable a signal as a mobile car radio by design and when there is a physical barrier, such as the torso of a human, between the antenna of the radio and the tower broadcasting the signal, the signal of the portable diminishes even further."

He said he suspected that what happened "was a situation similar to this scenario, through no fault of the officer, who was not able to change positions of his portable radio during this altercation."

Of whether the incident reflected the need for enhanced security, or a new justice court, an issue that has been before the board for more than a year, Russell said, "The court had an unruly suspect. Decisions that were made, or not made, were largely responsible for creating the situation that unfolded and had little to due with where court is held."

After the incident in justice court, one court officer resigned. Russell said, "I can't speak to the reason why the court officer left, however, it's reasonable to assume that the timing of the resignation was due, at least in part, to the incident in the court."

Meanwhile, the town board is poised to hire three new police officers, the town board said at its work session Tuesday.