(Yaphank, NY) On April, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. was joined by Elected Officials and Commissioners from partnering corrections agencies for the official launch of the “Corrections Intelligence Center” (CIC). The CIC is the first-of-its-kind jail intelligence network that shares data, trends, best practices and potential threats across jails and prisons.
The CIC is fully staffed with specially trained Corrections Intelligence Officers from participating agencies including New York State Department of Correction and Community Supervision, New York City Department of Corrections, Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, Westchester Department of Corrections and Morris County (NJ) Sheriff’s Office. The center also includes remote participation from 20 additional Counties in the regional area that are participating in bi-weekly roundtables in addition to receiving immediate alerts to potential threats and trends.
“Corrections intelligence is underutilized and is a valuable tool in keeping the public and law enforcement officers safe. We are doing what has never been done before -- proactively collecting and disseminating trends about contraband, drugs, gang affiliations and potential threats through this network of jail and prison systems,” said Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr.
Since Sheriff Toulon took office in 2018, he has expanded collaboration with local law enforcement agencies to help solve cases utilizing intelligence from inside the Suffolk Facilities. The CIC expands on this to help cases beyond the Suffolk borders by sharing pertinent information with Task Forces embedded with the F.B.I., U.S. Marshals, Homeland Security, Suffolk County Police Department, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, and other police agencies.
“Fentanyl is a major issue not only in our neighborhoods but also in correctional facilities. Inside jails, drugs are worth 10x more than what they are on the street. Our network will allow us to seamlessly share new methods bad actors use to smuggle these drugs in and is a critical tool in stopping the flow of drugs into jails and ultimately, our neighborhoods,” said Sheriff Toulon.
Since a trial opening in March, the CIC has been able to gather and disseminate information regarding new drug trends like Xylazine as well as new ways to introduce drug contraband such as fentanyl being sprayed onto paper through the mail.
In addition, the CIC will share and cross reference data on security risk groups like gangs, which may not have been available to us previously. Having accurate and up-to-date information helps us manage high-risk individuals properly, mitigate any violence and stop dangerous contraband from entering our facilities. For example, the Corrections Intelligence Center received information regarding an attorney attempting to smuggle marijuana and fentanyl to a NYC inmate while she was in Queens District Court through the clothes provided for her trial.
Sheriff’s Office will also use the intelligence network to help solve crimes outside of the jail walls. Recently, the CIC worked with our law enforcement partners to assist in arrests connected to a catalytic converter theft ring that spanned across Long Island. Jail intelligence was utilized to help ID the suspect which led to the arrests of multiple people involved.
Sheriff Toulon also announced plans to expand the CIC to national and international partners. To accommodate the growing operation, Suffolk County is currently working on a renovation of an unused portion of the original Yaphank Jail, which 2,500 sq ft being is currently being earmarked for a state-of-the-art CIC facility. The initial phase of renovation is expected to be complete in early summer.