Farmingville, NY – Supervisor Mark Lesko, Councilwoman Connie Kepert and Legislator Kate Browning announced an agreement with Shotspotter to install sensors on Town property in North Bellport that will detect gunshots. The Town Board unanimously approved this agreement at its last meeting on October 18, 2011.

Shot Spotter was approved by Suffolk County through the efforts of Legislators Kate Browning and Jack Eddington in March of this year. The County provided funding for three years and additional monies were secured through private donations and Caithness benefit funds. The system utilizes sensors that will alert the Suffolk County Police Department within seconds of when a gunshot is detected in the area. This real time information will allow police and emergency services to respond immediately to the scene and assist them in quickly assisting victims and finding suspects. The system not only reveals the location of the gunshot within seconds, but it also lets officers know what type of weapons and how many are involved.

The installation of the system had been delayed due to logistical problems LIPA had with using their poles. Legislator Browning reached out to Supervisor Lesko regarding Town-owned property on the poles and an agreement was struck to avoid the conflict with LIPA services. The agreement helps to move the installation of sensors forward.

“Shot Spotter is a useful law enforcement tool that will help keep our communities safe,” said Supervisor Mark Lesko, “I applaud the hard work of Councilwoman Kepert and Legislators Browning and Eddington to bring Shotspotter to North Bellport. Brookhaven is happy to partner with Suffolk County on this important public safety measure.”

"In the 2009 Greater Bellport Sustainable Community Plan, the community identified safety as their number one concern. With the support of a private funder, along with $80,000 from the Caithness community benefit funds, I was able to secure funding to pay for Shotspotter. Through the use of Shotspotter, our law enforcement officers will be able to detect the precise location of where a gun is fired. I am proud to have worked with our County Legislators, Kate Browning and Jack Eddington, and Supervisor Mark Lesko to overcome the obstacles surrounding installation of this crime-fighting technology. The law-abiding citizens of Bellport deserve a safe community," stated Councilwoman Connie Kepert.

"Shot Spotter is going to be an important asset in combating gangs and gun crime in North Bellport," stated Legislator Browning. "As soon as an agreement with LIPA was not possible, I reached out to Supervisor Lesko for his assistance in utilizing Town property for this vital technology. I want to thank him and Councilwoman Kepert for their quick action in solidifying an agreement so that we can move forward with installing these necessary sensors. This is a great example of all levels of government working together for the betterment of our communities."

“Shotspotter is a critically important tool for our police department to bring gun crime under control, and it is the first critical step to helping the Greater Bellport Community achieve their vision. I am happy to have a partner in Brookhaven Town to make this happen,” said Legislator Jack Eddington.

“We expect that with Shotspotter in place the amount of gun related incidents will be greatly reduced and the streets will be safer. Our kids will no longer think that hearing gunshots when they go to bed at night is a normal part of life,” said John Rogers, Chair of the Greater Bellport Community Coalition.

Division of Public Information * Office of the Supervisor
One Independence Hill • Farmingville • NY 11738 • Phone (631) 451-6595 • Fax (631) 451-6258