New Southampton Police Chief on the Job

Thu, 05/23/2019 - 06:39

By Taylor K. Vecsey

May 4, 2017

Steven E. Skrynecki, named by the Southampton Town Board in September to take over as town police chief, was officially sworn in this week. His appointment was delayed several times for various reasons, but he took the oath of office at Town Hall on Monday.

Chief Skrynecki was initially scheduled to begin full time earlier this year, but it was postponed until March due to Civil Service regulations that required he use up accrued vacation time from his previous job before starting a new one. He served as the police chief, the second in command, in Nassau County and retired in January after 42 years with the department.

He worked two days a week as a consultant in Southampton. In March, his start date was delayed again for personal reasons. His appointment was made official by town board resolution on April 25.

Capt. Lawrence Schurek had been at the helm since Robert Pearce retired as chief in late September.

Long Days on the Fire Line In Orange County

East Hampton and Amagansett firefighters volunteered to head north last week to help fight a 5,000-acre wildfire in Orange County, N.Y., not once but twice, battling unfamiliar terrain to do so. “They fight fires completely differently than we do when we have a brush fire,” the Amagansett chief said.

Nov 21, 2024

Awards for Good Policing in Handgun Scuffle

“It could have gone worse. We’re lucky that I have officers here that weren’t shot,” said Police Chief Jeff Erickson at Friday’s East Hampton Village Board meeting. Chief Erickson was recognizing Sgt. Wayne Gauger and Officers John Clark and Robbie Greene for a traffic stop on Aug. 31 that turned into a scuffle and the eventual confiscation of an illegal gun.

Nov 21, 2024

On the Police Logs 11.21.24

A Three Mile Harbor Drive resident reported an online dating scam on the afternoon of Nov. 16. Somehow, said the 80-year-old man, a person on the dating platform had gotten his phone number and demanded $2,000 from him, threatening to tell his family he was using the site if he did not comply. Police told the man to block the number.

Nov 21, 2024

Head-On Collision on Route 27

A 2-year-old was taken to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital following a head-on collision Saturday afternoon on State Route 27 near Upland Road in Montauk.

Nov 21, 2024

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