East End Police Recruitment Event Focus On Diversity, Inclusion

RIVERHEAD, NY — A crowd turned out last week for an East End police recruitment event aimed at changing futures.

Suffolk County Legislators Bridget Fleming and Al Krupski coordinated with the Suffolk County Police Department to hold the first ever East End Police Recruitment Event. The gathering was organized with an eye toward increasing diversity in the Suffolk County Police Department, as well as among local East End Police departments.

The application deadline for the June 17 exam is Wednesday, April 19t. For additional information, click here.

Also present were Deputy County Executives Vanessa Baird-Streeter and Jon Kaiman. The panel of sponsors included Krupski, Fleming, Deputy County Executive Vanessa Baird-Streeter, Dr. James Banks, chair of multicultural affairs at Suffolk Community College Germain Smith, Shinnecock Nation trustee and Southampton Town police dispatcher, Deputy Chief Stan Grodski, and Suffolk County Police Officers Thomas Joy and Tom DiLena, from the office of police recruitment.

The discussion included an overview of opportunities in departmental units, career advancement options, and civil service benefits available through police force careers.

Joy and DiLena also explained requirements for applying for the police exam, as well as background checks and physical fitness tests for those who move on to the next step.

Upon admission, prospective officers are admitted into the Police Academy and undergo extensive academic and field training.

The panel took numerous questions from attendees about positions in the departments, what the test is like, and the onboarding process, among many other topics.

More than 75 people attended the event, including college students; 17 signed up on site to take the exam, while many others took the applications home to sign up. Local East End Police Departments were also present to help with recruitment.

"It is critically important that police departments reflect the communities they serve. As a former prosecutor, I can say that a career in law enforcement can be challenging and rewarding, makes you part of a family committed to keeping our communities safe, and helps people," Fleming said.

"I applaud the Suffolk County Police Department, Riverhead Police Department, and Southold Police Department for the informative presentation and community-based efforts," Krupski said. "So many will benefit from this recruitment event, and I am happy to have teamed up with Legislator Fleming’s office to make these opportunities available to our future police officers who will serve our community.”