Suffolk County to Put Hispanic Foot Patrol Officer in Patchogue

Suffolk County to Put Hispanic Foot Patrol Officer in Patchogue

Officer Pablo Morales Assigned to Downtown Post; Officer Lola Quesada Also Named as Hispanic Liaison

Patchogue , NY – Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and Police Commissioner Richard Dormer today announced the assignment of Police Officer Pablo Morales to a foot patrol post in Patchogue, and named Police Officer Lola Quesada as special advisor to the commissioner on Minority Affairs.

The moves are part of a continuing effort to build bridges of trust between the Hispanic community and the Police Department, which Dormer noted “is there to serve every person.” Last week, the Police Commissioner named Inspector Ty Mojica as commanding officer of the Fifth Precinct and Deputy Inspector Jan Rios as deputy commanding officer.

Earlier today, the new Inspector and Officer Morales were introduced in an informal walking tour of Patchogue businesses by Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and Village of Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri.

Morales, of Puerto Rican descent and fluent in Spanish, had previously worked in the Fourth Precinct, and has been a member of the Suffolk County Police Department since 1989.

“Officer Morales, along with the team of new Inspectors, can be valuable bridges to the community in the wake of the brutal murder of Marcelo Lucero and other allegations of anti-Hispanic acts,” said Levy.

“We are committed to assuring all persons that if they are the victim of a crime, the Suffolk County Police Department will not ask questions about their documented status,” said Dormer.

Officer Quesada, who was born in Ecuador and immigrated to the United States with her family in 1972, will be assigned to police headquarters, but act as a roving liaison between the department and Hispanic communities. She joined the SCPD in 2002 and previously was assigned to the Third Precinct.