Third 'Synergy' Event Aims To Create Bridge Between Police, Community

MATTITUCK, NY — Hoping to once again open the doors for productive dialogue between the Southold Town police department and the community, a new "Synergy Mattituck" event has been scheduled for Thursday night.

Southold Town and the town's anti-bias task force are hosting the "Synergy" event on Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Human Resource Center, located at 750 Pacific Street in Mattituck.

"Synergy Mattituck," a release said, is "an open and respectful conversation between the police and all the members of the community."

The town has hosted two prior "Synergy" meetings. The first was held in April, 2016 at the Peconic Recreation Center.

At the landmark gathering, Southold Town Police met with a wide range of public officials to help shatter communication concerns and open a dialogue with the public with the hope of creating a bridge, especially in the Latino community.

The first "Synergy" meeting brought together local law enforcement, Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell and Councilman Bill Ruland, religious leaders, Southold and Greenport School Superintendent David Gamberg, and anti-bias task force members from Riverhead.

The group gathered together for the question and answer session led by Suffolk County Community College's Jim Banks, coordinator of multicultural affairs, and also chair of Southampton's anti-bias task force. The public brought up issues they found troublesome and discussed how to address them.

Next, the second "Synergy Greenport" event was held in January, 2017. "Synergy Greenport," was described by organizers as "an open and respectful conversation between the police and the community of Greenport."

Southold Town officials and the Anti-Bias Task Force, as well as Greenport Village officials, hosted the event, aimed at creating dialogue during a time when the nation stands divided by tensions between law enforcement and sometimes disenfranchised communities.

Sonia Spar, co-chair of the Southold Town ABTF, said she was speechless at the crowd of approximately 100 people that turned out. "I think it's very important to our community that we participate, join the conversation. It's all about respect, civility and opening the channels of communication."

Elected officials, Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley and Police Officer Alex Chenche, school representatives, and members of the clergy, as well as a large group of Latino residents, attended the meeting, which was held at the St. Agnes School in Greenport and moderated by Banks.

A wide range of topics was covered, including the issue of sanctuary cities, ICE concerns, and a community of immigrants living in fear in the new political climate — immigrants who are needed on the North Fork to keep the economy flourishing and the area diverse, many said.