Suffolk County police swear in 145 new recruits, including 16 Spanish speakers

Suffolk County police, looking to increase diversity in the ranks, swore in the department’s 193rd new recruit class Monday, including 16 Spanish speakers.

Acting Police Commissioner Robert Waring swore in 145 recruits Monday morning at the Suffolk County Community College Police Academy in Brentwood.

"Thousands of young women and men take this test and few are chosen. You should be very, very proud," Waring told the recruits before they were sworn in. "You will face challenges, but you can work hard and if you treat people with dignity, respect and kindness, I’m sure you will have fulfilling careers."

The new class includes 33 recruits who are Hispanic, four Asian Americans, one Black recruit and 25 women. More than 40% of the class have prior law enforcement experience, including 19 recruits from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and departments from Southampton Town, Amityville, Southold, Riverhead, Stony Brook University, Glen Cove and Long Beach.

Philane Batista, 34, of Amityville, who was born in the United States  but lived in the Dominican Republic until she was 18, served two years as a New York City correction officer and attended the state court officer academy.

"I want to become someone people can look up to and be part of positive changes in the criminal justice system," Batista said. "Those positive changes mean being inclusive and respecting people’s rights ... There are a lot of Spanish-speaking people on Long Island and more officers can meet those needs in the community."

Recruits took the Suffolk County police exam in June 2023, which is good for four years. The new class will undergo 32 weeks of the academy before they are sworn in as police officers. 

Christopher Gutierrez, 29, of Ridge, worked for nine months with the NYPD after serving as an EMT with the FDNY. He said increasing diversity in the department better represents the community.

"It’s good to be able to communicate with people from different backgrounds and make them more comfortable to approach," Gutierrez said.

Suffolk County police officers have been predominantly white, according to figures reported by Newsday last year. The department's 2,561 sworn personnel as of last year were comprised of more than 83% white, 11.4% Hispanic, and 2.7% who are Black.

The U.S. Department of Justice released Suffolk police from a 10-year consent decree under a federal monitor, following a settlement alleging discriminatory policing of Latinos. The department was ordered to provide annual training to officers, including how to investigate hate crimes and accepting complaints of police bias.

Officials said increasing diversity was a priority for the department.

"We are committed to ensuring that our police department is reflective of the communities that it serves and we remain focused on increasing diversity in all ranks of the Suffolk County Police Department," Waring said in a statement. "Members of the department participated in more than 300 recruitment events working with various community organizations to recruit the best and the brightest for the 2023 police test."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.