Vouchers to replace tickets in new Suffolk safety program

Suffolk motorists stopped by county police for a broken taillight or headlight can soon receive a repair voucher worth up to $250 through a program designed to ease the burden on financially struggling families.

The "Lights On!" program, which started in Minnesota to help improve relations between civilians and law enforcement there, will allow motorists to receive vouchers instead of tickets for minor equipment violations. The vouchers will enable cited motorists to bring their vehicles to participating auto body shops for repairs covered by the voucher. The shops will then be reimbursed by the county.

"We are working to avoid placement of additional economic burdens on people who may already be financially disadvantaged " said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone at a news conference Thursday at Engine Tech Inc. in Patchogue, one of two auto body shops to sign on thus far with the program.

"This program is about road and driver safety and enhancing community and police relations and trust," Bellone said. "That is a win-win scenario."

The other participating shop is Village Automotive Center in Setauket. The county is asking area mechanics to opt into the program when it begins in June.

Currently, a motorist in New York State who is pulled over for a broken headlight, taillight, brake light or turn signal is given 24 hours to make the repairs, potentially necessitating time off work, officials said.

If the driver does not immediately fix the light — which could cost between $25 and $60, based on the make and model of the vehicle — they could be hit with fines beginning north of $100. Those penalties, if not paid, could quickly escalate and drivers risk a possible license suspension, officials said.

"Families are struggling," said Legis. Dominick Thorne (R-Patchogue). "If you have to make a decision whether you’re going to put food on your table or change your light bulb, you’re going to feed your kids. This brings one more lift to people that are struggling so hard."

The county's initial $35,000 investment in the program came from a combination of grant funding and a donation by West Islip philanthropist Steve Castleton, who funds veteran and police programs. Lights On! will match that $35,000, officials said. The county will seek additional funding and matching grants once the initial money runs out.

"Nobody should have to decide between their safety and putting food on the table," Castleton said. "The bottom line is a program like this will help save lives."

As part of the new program, cited drivers will have 14 days to use the voucher and remedy the defective equipment. Suffolk police, Bellone said, will put the voucher information into the department's Traffic Stop data system so drivers are not repeatedly pulled over for the same violation. Once the repair is made, Lights On! will contact the police to notify them of the fix.

The program, part of the county’s Safety First Campaign, will be available to motorists regardless of their financial status. It applies only to vehicles pulled over by Suffolk police and is not available to motorists interacting with state, town or village law enforcement.

Lights On! started after Philando Castile, a 32-year-old Black man, was fatally shot during a 2016 traffic stop by police in Minneapolis after being pulled over for a broken taillight. Castile’s family claimed he was profiled because of his race, and the shooting renewed concerns about how police officers interact with minorities.

The program now operates in 12 states and is designed to reduce conflicts between civilians and the police before a situation escalates, said Sherman Patterson, national program director for the Minneapolis-based Lights On!

"When an officer comes back from his car [with the voucher] the anxiety is down and communication starts," said Patterson, who joined Bellone and other officials at the news conference in Patchogue. "They're not talking at each other. They're talking with each other."

Suffolk is the second place in New York to adopt Lights On! after upstate Saugerties launched the program last year, Patterson said.

"I see the struggling families come in and light bulb replacement is not cheap anymore," said Bernie Schrage, owner of Engine Tech Inc.

As part of Suffolk's police reform initiative, which includes Safety First, law enforcement has "de-emphasized" minor traffic infractions by no longer including parking summonses and minor equipment violation totals in an officer's monthly activity report, Bellone said.

"This is a big step in that right direction into building and strengthening those relationships," said Suffolk Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison. "Not having to issue a summons. Getting someone that assistance they may need."

Deputy County Executive Vanessa Baird-Streeter said the county issued 24,000 citations for equipment violations, including broken bulbs, in 2019. Although more recent data is not available, Baird-Streeter said she's confident that figure declined in recent years because of police reforms.

Lawrence Street, president of the Eastern Long Island branch of the NAACP, said minor traffic citations have disproportionately affected minorities for decades. It's too soon, he said, to know if that's changed.

"We all have to obey the law but sometimes you get pulled over and you don't make it out alive," Street said. "If we can stop the part about being pulled over and something ensues after a simple traffic violation, then that's a good thing."

With AP

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.