Hate crimes cop in Suffolk County, NY: County executive frequently interfered with our work

[ck4829]

Over the last several years, Suffolk County, N.Y., has been a hotbed of anti-Latino hate, a place that became infamous for the brutal murder of an Ecuadorian immigrant by a gang of white teens who were out for a night of “beaner hopping.”

County Executive Steve Levy has taken his share of criticism for not only failing to protect the county’s Latino community but for fanning the flames of bigotry. An investigation by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2009 documented widespread violence against Latinos in the county and cited the indifference of local authorities. The U.S. Department of Justice soon thereafter launched an investigation into discriminatory policing in the county.

Now come explosive new allegations from the former commander of the police unit charged with solving hate crimes in the county.

In a Newsday column this past Sunday, Detective Sgt. Robert Reecks, told the paper that Levy “whitewashed bias crimes and directly inhibited the work of the Suffolk County Hate Crimes Unit.” Reecks’ 13-year tenure heading the unit ended abruptly two weeks ago; he is now its deputy commander.

Reecks said his unit was unable to aggressively pursue its mission, because of actions taken by Levy after he took office in 2004. Reecks said that Levy changed how the department handled investigations. “They came in and they started to shut it down … all of a sudden it was, no, you are not doing that, no, that is not a hate crime,” Reecks said.

Reecks alleged further improprieties, including that Levy’s office altered press releases designed to aid hate crime investigations and that Levy failed to notify the public of solved hate crimes. Reecks also said that Levy’s administration tried to pressure him not to speak to DOJ officials investigating the alleged discriminatory policing against Latinos on Long Island without a representative of the county executive present (Reecks ultimately did testify alone).

http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2011/01/25/bias-crimes-cop-accuses-suffolk-county-executive-of-interference/

[Dawson Leery]

1. Steve Levy is the emobidment of a DLC/Dino/Bluedog.

He considered running for Governor as a Republican.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. He is a Republican-- changed his registration last year in the failed bid...

for the Governor's nomination.

(Republicans didn't like him much, either.)

[Dawson Leery]

3. As he and all of his DLC mobsters should.