The Southold Community Joint Justice Review and Reform Task Force (hereinafter referred to as “Southold Justice Review & Reform Task Force”)  was established, pursuant to Southold Town Resolution 220-416, to engage in a collaborative, thoughtful, transparent, and thorough assessment of the level of possible bias in the Town of Southold’s justice system and thereafter issue recommendations to the Town Board. The Task Force is made up of a mix of Southold Town community members, not for profit and faith based leaders, and local officials. In furtherance of the goals of the Task Force we will consult with the residents of the Town, members of the Police Department, District Attorney’s Office, Legal Aid, Justice Court, and the Office of the Town Attorney, and any other relevant group.   

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Additionally, the Task Force is acting as an advisory committee of the Town Board, as required  by Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 203, to develop a plan to improve our Police Department’s deployments, strategies, policies, procedures and practices to ensure equity in treatment and build trust between Police and Communities of Color and other historically marginalized groups.  We will seek the community’s ideas on what public safety should entail, analyze current Police policies and procedures, research current expertise on effective community policing and solicit the voices of all members of the Southold community to ensure equity, equality, public safety, and an enhanced mutual trust between the community and police and the justice system as a whole.