Greenport Mayor Kevin Stuessi briefly encouraged community members to do what they can to pay close attention to ICE activity and “do what we can to protect our community” at the village’s Feb. 19 board 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 inthe 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 from the activity, Southold Townunanimously approved a Public Safety Task Forceon 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 us 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 for it in next week’s 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 Southold Town Police.

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 strictly assigned to Greenport on foot patrol.

Source: The Suffolk Times