Suffolk DA's New Unit To Tackle Animal Cruelty, Environmental Crimes

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — A new law enforcement unit has been launched to tackle the prosecution of animal and environmental crimes, requiring investigators to meet with animal victims and contribute to environmental projects throughout Long Island, as part of a pro bono initiative by Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney.

The Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team, or the BEAST team, will include a team leader, as well as a crew of nine prosecutors and one support staff member who will work with law enforcement counterparts at the local and county level. All violations of the state’s laws protecting animals and the environment will be assigned to the team for "accountability and consistency," Tierney's office said.

The team will be led by Assistant District Attorney Jed Painter, a former Nassau County prosecutor, where he served as the chief of animal crimes for 11 years. Painter is the co-chair of the Animal Crimes Committee of the state District Attorneys' Association and has received the prestigious “Prosecutor of the Year” Award from the New York Prosecutors Training Institute. His animal crimes work has earned him the Humane Law Enforcement Award from the National Sheriffs Association and the Humane Society of the United States.

BEAST team ADAs will collect all registry and protective orders relating to animals, coordinate periodic compliance checks, and prosecute resultant offenses. In environmental prosecutions, they will coordinate with the court and outside agencies to create a community service program focusing on beach clean-up, trail clean-up, and other environmentally-restorative projects. ADAs on the team will also be required to be on-call to law enforcement for warrants and field guidance.

The BEAST team has met with the state's Department of Environmental Conservation and shelter leadership, and members are continuing to meet with non-profit and municipal shelters around the island.

Apart from in-house training, BEAST ADAs have attended special training with the state's Animal Protection Federation and ASPCA at the state's police academy in Albany.

Tierney has hired a detective for animal crimes, who came from the New York Police Department’s animal cruelty investigation squad, to add to the existing team of animal and environmental investigators, who will be detailed to BEAST "for more centralized and consistent enforcement throughout Long Island," Tierney's office said.

DA spokeswoman Tania Lopez said the BEAST team is a multi-disciplinary team with multiple shareholders, including Suffolk police and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The DA's office will "work with whoever makes arrests on offenses against animals and the environment in Suffolk," Lopez said.

Tierney said he is proud of the initiative, noting animal abuse will not be tolerated and anyone charged with environmental offenses will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

“We have one of the strongest legal advocates for animals and the environment on our team and he’s going to ensure no case falls through the cracks," he added.

The SPCA's Chief Roy Gross called the BEAST Team a great initiative and said the agency would work together with its members.

"Anything that we could do to help and support will certainly be there 100%," he added.

Libby Post, executive director of the state's Animal Protection Federation, said the organization is pleased with Tierney for taking "this unprecedented step forward in combatting animal abuse in Suffolk County."

"We need more district attorneys to take animal crimes more seriously and the establishment of the Biological, Environmental and Animal Safety Team, with an apt acronym of BEAST, will show other DAs across New York what they can do," she added. "We know that crimes against animals are gateway crimes that too often include domestic violence. Taking animal crimes seriously is crucial for our companion animals and the people who care for them.”

Joanne Yohannan, senior vice president of operations at North Shore Animal League America, said that any mandate that keeps the prosecution in animal crimes cases connected to their victim, as well as the shelter staff while the case is pending should be applauded.

"We know, all too well, the impact and toll these cases take on an entire animal welfare organization and the importance of staying connected," she said.

Brian Shapiro, the state director for the Humane Society of the United States, said the county's communities will benefit "from increased prosecution of illegal animal cruelty."

“Animal crimes are often linked to drugs, guns, domestic violence, and other abuse," he said. "We applaud D.A. Tierney for establishing the Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team, which will help bolster animal protection work in the county.”

Suffolk residents can contact BEAST directly at BEAST@suffolkcountyny.gov. 911 should always be called in the event of an emergency.