Send him a tweet or tell him what you think in the comments.
Once McCaffrey takes office in January he will have the power to 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.
McCaffrey, of Lindenhurst, is an incoming legislator. A 1972 graduate of Berner High School in Massapequa, he is seeking a bachelor's degree in business from SUNY Empire State College. He is president of Teamsters Local 707, and has served as Lindenhurst trustee since 1990.
As an incoming Legislator I am at a disadvantage in not knowing all the inner workings of the policies and procedures of Suffolk County Government including the Police Department. Additionally, being limited to a yes or no answer to questions may not be reflective of the depth of my responses and may be misleading to readers. I hope the readers take the time to read these additional online comments.
Increased oversight- It is my understanding there are currently many different types of oversight of the Police Department ranging from the Police Commissioner,Internal Affairs, District Attorney, Justice Department, County Executive and the Legislature. I need to take a hard look at the functionality and effectiveness of the existing oversight before jumping to the conclusion of a need for an additional layer.
Public Hearings on Police misconduct- Currently the Legislature's Public Safety Committee has jurisdiction over Police misconduct in the Legislature. It is my experience as Trustee and Deputy Mayor in Lindenhurst, personnel matters are discussed only in Executive session which is not open to the general public. I believe the same is true in County Government. With that being said I don't see any reason why the Public safety Committee cannot or should not hold public hearings on any police matter including possible Police misconduct and the policies and procedures for handling it without individual employees being discussed.
Civilian Review Board- as I answered above to the increased oversight, I don't believe a Civilian Review Board as an additional layer is appropriate.
What do you think?