Hauppauge - County Executive Steve Levy announced on October 1 that the Suffolk Police Department has been selected as one of 26 law enforcement agencies in 19 states to be awarded funds under the federal Child Sexual Predator Program (CSPP). The $488,601 grant was secured through a nomination by the Eastern District of the U.S. Attorney General's Office and the efforts of officials including U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as U.S. Representatives Peter T. King, Steve Israel and Tim Bishop.

The money is being provided to the police department as part of a program that was launched in 2008 to help locate, arrest and prosecute child sexual predators and exploiters, and to enforce state sex offender registration laws. The funds may be used to purchase equipment, to train personnel and to pay for overtime in the police department's Special Victims Section and Computer Crimes Units.

"Every parent's worst nightmare is turning around in a crowd and realizing that a son or daughter - there just a moment ago - is suddenly gone," said Levy. "This grant will provide a tremendous boost in our efforts to prevent such scenarios. The money will be used to help us curb the online proliferation of child pornography, to acquire new equipment that will enhance computer forensics and to ensure that registered sex offenders are not residing where they shouldn't be. We will also bolster our efforts to check that registered sex offenders are disclosing accurate contact and e-mail account information. In addition, this money will permit us to host regional training classes that will enhance child sexual assault investigations.

Levy added, "I want to thank our federal officials, including Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and our local congressional delegation, for their vigorous efforts in securing these funds."

Senator Schumer said, "There is nothing more important than protecting children from dangerous predators. As a parent, I know how important it is to be sure that your children are safe from threat. I have long supported Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) programs and am pleased with our success in obtaining funding for the Suffolk County Police Department. Ensuring the safety of children in Suffolk County and across Long Island must be our top priority and this funding will go a long way in doing just that."

Senator Gillibrand added, "In this tough economy when local resources are stretched thin, it is vital that the federal government make a commitment to our police departments. Investing in our police departments is a priority to make our communities more safe and secure. These federal dollars for the Suffolk County Police Department will go towards their Child Sexual Predator Program to keep children safe and protect them from dangerous people. Protecting our families and communities is the highest priority of our law enforcement professionals."

Congressman King stated, "The dedicated officers of the Suffolk County Police Department have done an extraordinary job in keeping sexual predators and other dangerous criminals out of our communities and off our streets. I am proud of their hard work and pleased to know that with this grant they will have the necessary resources to locate and arrest child predators, and make our neighborhoods safer for our children."

Congressman Israel said, "Nothing is more important than keeping our children safe. The Suffolk County Police Department is dedicated to protecting our families and communities. This new federal funding will help them continue to do an excellent job."

Congressman Bishop added, "Online and in our neighborhoods, this program will help make sure there is nowhere for sexual predators to hide. This new federal funding will make sure Suffolk County police can do even more to monitor offenders and protect our children. The fact that the Suffolk County Police Department is one of just 26 law enforcement agencies to receive a federal grant is testament to their dedication and groundbreaking work to fight sexual predators."

Suffolk's award is part of a total national package of more than $11.4 million under the CSPP. The grant drew praise from Laura Ahearn, executive director of Parents for Megan's Law, a national organization based in Stony Brook that advocates for broad sex-offender notifications. Megan's Law, the federal statute passed in 1996 that requires all 50 states to release information to the public about known convicted sex offenders, was named after 7-year-old Megan Nicole. The Hamilton Township, NJ, girl was brutally raped and murdered in 1994 by a neighbor who had already been convicted of attacks on two other children years earlier. Since New York's version of Megan's Law was passed in 1996, local authorities on Long Island have been notifying communities about the presence of sex offenders, many of whom had just gotten out of prison.

Ahearn said, "Our federal lawmakers are consistently demonstrating their commitment to protecting children from sexual victimization. Sexual predators are highly skilled at accessing potential victims and will utilize any means available, including evolving technology to target our most vulnerable. Struggling with limited resources, the dedicated detectives in the Suffolk County Police Department's Computer Crimes and Special Victims Units have been keeping our communities safe, and this funding will provide them with additional resources, technology and the tools they need to be one step ahead of those that prey on our most vulnerable."

The CSPP funding initiative originates with the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) and is implemented through the DOJ's COPS program, with a goal of reducing and preventing child endangerment and protecting communities from sexual predators. It is also designed to collectively address this widespread problem through strong partnerships among law enforcement, U.S. Attorney's Offices and U.S. Marshals, as well as other community partners such as parole and probation offices, social services agencies, and state or local prosecutors.