Suffolk County Police Team Up With FBI, ATF In Illegal Gun Crackdown
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Suffolk County police are joining forces with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to seek out violent criminals and get illegal guns off the streets.
"Too many guns, too many illegal guns on our streets," Suffolk County Police Deputy Commissioner Tim Sini said
On Thursday, law enforcement officials introduced the department's new Firearm Suppression Team, also known as F.A.S.T., WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs reported. The team will be composed of eight police officers and four detectives, who will answer to respective sergeants along with a lieutenant supervisor. .
The team will target suspects or individuals who pose a significant threat to local communities and work to reduce the number of illegal firearms on the streets, with a focus on at-risk neighborhoods or areas with higher crime rates.
"We'll create a 'hot' list of individuals who we deem are committing most of the violence in Suffolk County," Sini said. "And we'll target those individuals."
Law enforcement officials said they were also working on a "Trigger Lock" program, which would allow violent offenders arrested in Suffolk County to be prosecuted under federal guidelines.
The team will be composed of eight police officers and four detectives, who will answer to respective sergeants and a lieutenant.
The department modifying their Crime Stoppers program to include a new fast-track rewards system for information leading to the arrest of a person carrying an illegal firearm.
"If we can prevent violence before it happens, that's a win-win," Sini said.
