Our Precinct Watchdogs workgroup empowers residents to actively monitor police activities in their communities. Coalition members attend monthly precinct-specific community meetings, where they gather and report essential information to a steering committee member. At these meetings, LI United members are encouraged to ask questions from a questionnaire guide we’ve created or pose their own, challenging assumptions about community safety and holding police leadership accountable.
The Significance
Over the past year, the Precinct Watchdogs workgroup has expanded to nearly all seven precincts in Suffolk County. Additionally, coalition members now serve on three of the newly formed Precinct Level Advisory Boards, allowing them to advocate for our coalition’s messaging at public meetings on local policing practices. The Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) remains under Department of Justice oversight for racial disparities in traffic enforcement. As part of a settlement agreement, Precinct Inspectors are required to present police traffic stop data to local residents annually.​
Given the history of the SCPD’s failure to police itself, it is crucial for us, as residents and advocates, to step up as precinct watchdogs.