Town Imposed Curfew Helps Police Make Gun Arrests

First Precinct officers made seven gun arrests during the month of November, including three that were conducted during patrols of areas under curfew in the Town of Babylon following Hurricane Sandy.

"The curfew was helpful because we were able to stop people," Inspector Gerard Gigante said.

The Town curfew was imposed on November 2 in areas South of Montauk Highway in Babylon Village, Lindenhurst and Copiague.

Three gun arrests were made on November 4 in Lindenhurst and West Babylon. 

The curfew was imposed to protect residents and prevent gawkers and people looking to capitalize on vacant homes from heading South of Montauk, police said.

Its motive worked; police reported , during the curfew.

Gigante said that the Town government and police department worked hand in hand throughout the storm's aftermath.

The inspector spent the first 30 hours of the storm with Supervisor Rich Schaffer, coordinating safety efforts, he said. A command post was also set up at the soon-to-open First National Bank on the corner of South Wellwood Avenue and Montauk Highway in Lindenhurst. The National Guard also set up there in the immediate days following the October 29 storm.

In the immediate days after Sandy, Suffolk Police were also stationed at the top of each residential block in Lindenhurst to guard against looters and gawkers, and to make sure only residents and those with proper identification would be able to enter those areas that were largely without power for almost two weeks.

Initially, as the tide waters were slowly receding in the first couple of days after the storm, Suffolk Police were also helping local officials to redirect and discourage distraught residents from heading South to their homes because of chemicals and other hazards still ominously floating in the tide waters days after the storm.

And they helped direct traffic throughout the Town in the initial days after the storm, as many major - and minor - traffic lights remained without power.

Take a look at the accompanying images of what Suffolk Police were doing in the initial days after Sandy.