Following ICE activity, mayor encourages Greenporters to protect community

Greenport Mayor Kevin Stuessi briefly encouraged community members to pay close attention to ICE activity and “do what we can to protect our community” during the Village Board’s Feb. 19 work session. He also said he will be meeting with Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski and Police Chief Steve Grattan to discuss increased policing levels for the summer.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been active in Greenport and the East End, with the most recent activity resulting in the arrest of three men in the village on Feb. 4. Federal officials and OLA of Eastern Long Island identified them as Hugo Leonel Ardon Osorio, Alexandro Rivera Magaña and Martir Zambrano Diaz. 

“The village has had a lot of challenges recently with the federal raids here,” Mr. Stuessi said at the work session. “There’s been a number of families that have been broken apart. There are businesses that have lost members who work for them. There are other businesses that are being told that they have employees who are planning on leaving the country because they’re fearful.”

Federal immigration agents have been spotted in Greenport several times, dating back to last August. Following public outcry about the activity, Southold Town unanimously approved a Public Safety Task Force on Feb. 10. The task force will include two Southold Town Board members, two Southold Town Police Department members, a member of the police advisory committee, a member of the town’s Anti-Bias Task Force, a local school district representative, a Greenport Village representative and a community member.

Mr. Stuessi said the Village Board has recommended deputy mayor Patrick Brennan to serve on the Police Advisory Committee for the town to help continue conversations. He said the Village Board has had one unnamed member volunteer, along with somebody else from the community. He added that the board can talk about a bit more next week and make a formal recommendation and resolution during its meeting on Thursday, Feb. 26.

“This is a huge problem for this village and anybody here who doesn’t expect it to be worse in due course, dare I say, is being naive,” said Mr. Stuessi. “I don’t say that meanly, just truthfully. All you need to do is follow the money. There’s a lot of funding, and this village is particularly exposed. We’ve been targeted multiple times now, and we need to do whatever we can to protect our community, as Greenporters have always done.”

Mr. Stuessi has been outspoken on the issue at Southold Town Board meetings, and has previously called for them to implement emergency provisions for public safety and commit a police officer to be stationed in the village. Greenport is policed by the Southold Town Police Department.

He said a request has been made to see what the town can do to “better redirect officers.”

Chief Grattan told The Suffolk Times the department typically has one officer assigned to Greenport Village when there are five officers on duty. When there are only four officers on duty — which is the minimum — an officer is responsible for greater Greenport and the area eastward.

Additionally, there is a seasonal police officer who starts two weeks before Memorial Day and is eligible to work until two weeks after Labor Day. That officer is assigned strictly to foot patrol in Greenport. 

Chief Grattan said that in the 21 years he’s been with this department, there has been one officer designated to the village. He acknowledged contact with Mr. Stuessi to discuss staffing. 

“We’re limited with our resources; we have to provide coverage for the entire town,” the chief said. “I understand Greenport Village certainly gets busier in the summertime, and that’s why we try to direct extra resources to the village.”

The Southold Police Department currently has 54 officers. The department is budgeted for 57, and Chief Grattan said they are looking to fill those three positions in the near future.

“I spoke at the last Town Board meeting in regards to this and how important it is to get coverage here so that we will have true community policing on a regular basis,” said Mr. Stuessi. “Our chief also supports getting additional officers hired.”

Mr. Stuessi also said the Village Board put together a memo for village employees — and for the fire department in particular — to clarify private versus public property, and what can happen on public property versus private property. 

“It was made very clear that the fire department parking here is private property, per village code, and is only to be utilized for fire department personnel,” he said. 

He referenced raids that took place outside the laundromat on Adams Street. He said that while it’s “sad to see people targeted when they’re trying to do their laundry or buy their groceries,” it’s a public lot.

“The feds have the right to be over there. Whether they were acting as they should have or not is an entirely different thing,” said Mr. Stuessi. “This board has made it abundantly clear, as have our fire chiefs, to all of their teams, on what can and cannot happen on village properties.”