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Patchogue Chamber raises public‑safety concerns after social‑media posts and daytime incidents
Summary
The Patchogue Chamber and business owners reported daytime public‑safety incidents and a local Instagram account allegedly promoting paid fights; the board recommended formal reports to the police inspector and pursuing a coordinated response with county and village officials.
Joe Bennett, president of the Patchogue Chamber of Commerce, told the Village Board on Feb. 24 that chamber members have reported safety incidents and social‑media activity that business owners say is hurting foot traffic and encouraging disorder.
Bennett described an incident in which a construction worker allegedly urinated in broad daylight near a downtown building and said a local Instagram account is hosting and promoting videos of fights and charging viewers to watch. “I was horrified,” Bennett said when recounting the daytime incident near the Gordon Lehi building and the post‑production videos circulating online. He identified the Instagram handle discussed in the meeting as patchogue_bts (displayed in the transcript as patchogue_bts / patchogue_bts on Instagram).
Village leaders advised the chamber to file formal complaints directly with the precinct inspector and to copy the mayor and Legislator Andrew Thorn on correspondence. A village official told the chamber that the Suffolk County Police intelligence unit monitors social media for accounts that encourage violence and that a coordinated report increases the likelihood of law‑enforcement follow‑up. The official recommended the chamber send a letter detailing incidents and social‑media posts and said village staff would follow up with the police department once the inspector is copied.
Chamber members suggested a parallel community campaign to promote positive messaging about downtown safety and requested guidance on an information‑sharing protocol similar to “see something, say something” or a neighborhood watch notification number. Village staff responded that increased, visible police presence is the most direct way to discourage organized or promoted fights and that public‑safety officers have limited statutory powers compared with the police department.
Ending Chamber leaders said they would compile specific incidents and screenshots to forward to the precinct inspector, copy the mayor and county legislator, and work with village staff on potential positive messaging and neighborhood‑watch style protocols. The board asked staff to follow up as complaints are submitted.
