skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

War of Words Heats Up Over Response to Hate Crimes in Suffolk County

play audio
Play

Wednesday, January 26, 2011   

NEW YORK - The war of words is heating up over the issue of hate crimes in Suffolk County. County Executive Steve Levy's communications director has issued a 12-point defense of the administration's handling of hate crimes. The written response was issued Monday after a local detective went public with allegations that the administration is downgrading such offenses.

Maryann Sinclair Slutsky, director of Long Island Wins, says it's important to remember the officer's allegations are in addition to charges that the administration inappropriately edited a Hate Crimes Task Force Report.

"It seems like every day, there is more and more evidence that's being made public that Suffolk County, with Levy as its leadership, is still so at-risk of continued hate crime activity and anti-immigrant policies."

Communications officer Dan Aug confirms he wrote the 12-point "fact sheet" that accuses the officer of knee-jerk classification of incidents as hate crimes before such incidents were investigated. The officer, Detective Sargent Robert Reecks, told Newsday the administration often "sanitized" hate crimes in reports to the public.

If the officer's allegations prove true, says Slutsky, immigrants are faring worse in Suffolk County than perhaps anyone had imagined.

The Suffolk County Ethics Board was already reported to be looking into allegations that the administration edited critical comments out of a report from the local Hate Crime Task Force. Slutsky says she doesn't expect much action from the board, because in her view, it is dominated by supporters of County Executive Levy.

"Independent oversight needs to happen, where it is not populated with 'Levy people' – where these people are independent and neutral, and they review this whole situation with the Hate Crimes Task Force Report."

A Levy spokesman declined to comment on the makeup of the ethics board, and the board does not comment on pending cases. Slutsky says she wonders why Steve Levy is not speaking out for himself, relying instead on written defense of his actions.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021