HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., April 7, 2014--Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone told Long Island Hispanic pastors Friday that he will name a member of the group to the county Hispanic advisory board.
Meeting with the Long Island Hispanic Pastoral Association, County Executive Bellone also said he would work with the group to increase Hispanic and minority enrollment for the Suffolk County Police Department test in June 2015.
“It is important to embrace the diversity of Suffolk County,” County Executive Bellone said. “I had a fruitful meeting with the Hispa nic pastors of Long Island where they had the opportunity to highlight issues relevant to their communities and to learn about programs and initiatives of the county to share with their congregants.”
Members of the organization, which represents more than 120 churches across Long Island, noted that County Executive Bellone had improved relations between county government and Hispanic communities, citing the Language Access Executive Order, Community Policing Round Tables, the celebration of Welcoming Week in Suffolk County and a myriad of other initiatives that their congregants had expressed their appreciation for.
"We are grateful for the time that County Executive Steve Bellone and his staff granted us to discuss some of the pressing issues that our communities face. We are looking forward to the joint task of finding a resolution,” said Pastor Derek Garcia, a member of the organization’s board.
Among the goals of the Hispanic advisory board is to improve cultural understanding between the Hispanic community, Suffolk County government, and Suffolk County residents.