Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Immigration And Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press Riverhead board for local safety policy and dialogue with OLA amid concerns about ICE operations
Summary
Multiple residents urged the Town Board to consider an OLA-style public-safety and accountability law and to publish requested records, while other speakers expressed support for ICE and law enforcement; the board heard FOIL and policy-timetable requests but no formal action was taken.
A sustained and often emotional public comment period focused on immigration enforcement and local policing policy. Several residents urged the board to adopt or study an OLA‑style public-safety and accountability local law and to respond publicly to pending FOIL requests for policy records and operational practices related to federal operations.
Residents asked the supervisor to commit to a public response and timetable. Desmond Wong requested a written public comparison of town procedures and policies and asked the supervisor to file a public reply in advance of the August 4 materials; the supervisor thanked him and said staff would follow up. Lori Rakinello said she was "deeply aggrieved" and asked the board to put protections on the agenda. Other speakers, including retired first responders and residents, described incidents and expressed concerns about training and transparency.
At the same time, other residents urged support for law-enforcement cooperation and said they fear community safety consequences if federal operations are restricted. Board member Joan Wasi said she reads resident letters and stated she supports law enforcement and the rule of law, a remark that drew pushback from commenters who said local dialogue was needed with OLA representatives.
No new formal policy was adopted at the meeting; speakers asked the board to form a committee, to involve Chief Frost, or to schedule a follow-up public session. A town representative said some records are the subject of pending FOIL requests and that a public written response has not yet been scheduled. The meeting transcript records multiple requests for clearer public timelines and for staff to post responses ahead of the August 4 meeting.
