Send him a tweet or tell him what you think in the comments.
Cilmi can propose and vote on laws that affect the Suffolk County Police Department. As a body, the Suffolk County Legislature oversees the police department and can confirm or reject the county executive's choice for police commissioner. The legislature can also hold hearings and subpoena documents and witnesses.
Cilmi, of Bay Shore, has served on the legislature's Public Safety Committee, which is charged with police oversight. He won a third term in November. Cilmi serves on the boards of the East Islip Soccer Club and the Catholic Youth Organization at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in East Islip. Previously the owner of CTL Printing & Media in Islip, Cilmi has a bachelor's degree in business administration from New York Institute of Technology.
First let me say that given the complicated nature of these issues, to limit answers to a simple yes or no may lead readers to inaccurate conclusions, so I am delighted to share some context below.
On the issue of increased oversight, in Suffolk County, not only do we have multiple layers of supervision throughout the Department, but complaints may also be submitted to the Internal Affairs Bureau. All cases referred to the Internal Affairs Bureau are also referred to the Suffolk County District Attorney for review. Investigations under the current system may include administrative or criminal matters and are investigated accordingly. Ultimately, the Police Commissioner is charged with the responsibility of issuing administrative penalties based on an IAB report, and the PC is accountable to the County Executive and the Legislature Alternatively, in the case of criminal charges, the District Attorney would prosecute in a court of law. Lastly, the Federal government may get involved as in the most recent case reported by Newsday. When that happens, the County will forgo a simultaneous investigation so as not to influence or, in any way, undermine the Federal investigation. At the conclusion of an investigation by the Federal government or the District Attorney, the County may administratively pursue additional investigation, There are numerous examples of the system working and consequences have ranged from loss of pay, to termination to Federal prosecution and incarceration. Additionally, Suffolk County has voluntarily agreed to additional oversight from the Justice Department. Finally, residents in Suffolk County are represented by legislators who may be able to help. If, in certain cases, the current levels of oversight failed to produce an appropriate result, then in the case of Suffolk County, the County Executive and Legislature should figure out why and address it. Creating additional levels of bureaucracy to cover for the failures of existing bureaucracy is not the answer.
On the issue of holding hearings on issues of misconduct, it is certainly appropriate, although those hearings would naturally and appropriately be constrained by legal considerations. If, once a case is disposed of, questions remain as to whether or not the investigative process worked, those questions should be addressed in the setting of a Public Safety Committee.
I have not seen enough evidence to show that a Civilian Review Board in Suffolk County is warranted, nor have I seen evidence that such a board would be any more effective than the levels of control currently in place. Criminals know all too well under the current system that prosecution is difficult and unfortunately, due to space limitations in jail, caseloads and other factors, consequences are slow to come and too frequently lenient. In my view, adding a Civilian Review Board will simply weaken a justice system that is already too weak.
What do you think?