Detective in Hate Crimes Unit Killed in Crash

Det. Sgt. Robert Reecks, former commander of the Suffolk County Police Department Hate Crimes Unit, died in a car crash early Saturday morning when his vehicle veered off Sunrise Highway in Moriches.

Reecks, a Riverhead resident who police say was driving a 2008 Ford eastbound on the highway, hit a portion of a concrete bridge around 5:32 a.m.

The 57-year-old, who most recently served as a special assistant to the Police Commissioner for Minority Affairs and executive officer of the hate crimes unit, was pronounced dead at the scene. Seventh Precinct detectives are investigating the accident, police said.

Reecks, who began his career with the SCPD in 1981, made headlines when in January, a move that came after he was replaced as commander of the hate crimes unit.

"[Reecks] played a role in building stronger relationships with the minority community and worked to reduce hate crimes through education," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer said in a statement.

"His death is a loss for the police department and the community and we offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time."