DA TIERNEY ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND COMBINED UNIT TO PROSECUTE ANIMAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced today he has established a first-of-its-kind combined unit for the prosecution of animal and environmental crimes which requires assistant district attorneys on the team to meet with animal victims and personally contribute to environmental projects throughout Long Island as part of his office’s community outreach initiative.

“I’m very proud of this initiative. The abuse of animals in Suffolk County will not be tolerated and we are going to ensure that individuals charged with environmental offenses will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Tierney. “We have one of the strongest legal advocates for animals and the environment on our team and he’s going to ensure no case falls through the cracks.”

“The Federation commends Suffolk County DA Tierney for taking this unprecedented step forward in combatting animal abuse in Suffolk County,” said Libby Post, Executive Director of the New York State Animal Protection Federation. “We need more district attorneys to take animal crimes more seriously and the establishment of the Biological, Environmental and Animal Safety Team, with an apt acronym of BEAST, will show other DAs across New York what they can do. We know that crimes against animals are gateway crimes that too often include domestic violence. Taking animal crimes seriously is crucial for our companion animals and the people who care for them.”

“We applaud any mandate that keeps the prosecution in animal crimes cases connected to their victim as well as the shelter staff while the case is pending,” said Joanne Yohannan, Senior Vice President, Operations, North Shore Animal League America.  “We know, all too well, the impact and toll these cases take on an entire animal welfare organization and the importance of staying connected.”

“Suffolk County communities will benefit from increased prosecution of illegal animal cruelty,” said Brian Shapiro, New York State Director for the Humane Society of the United States. “Animal crimes are often linked to drugs, guns, domestic violence and other abuse. We applaud D.A. Tierney for establishing the Biological, Environmental and Animal Safety Team, which will help bolster animal protection work in the county.”

The Biological, Environmental and Animal Safety Team (BEAST) will be led by Assistant District Attorney Jed Painter.  DA Tierney recruited Painter from the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office where he served as the chief of animal crimes for 11 years.

As BEAST Team Leader, Painter oversees a dedicated crew of 9 other prosecutors and one support staff member that work with law enforcement counterparts at the local and county level.  For accountability and consistency, all violations of the state’s laws protecting animals and the environment are specially assigned to BEAST.

Painter is the Co-Chair of the Animal Crimes Committee of the New York State District Attorney’s Association.  He has received the prestigious “Prosecutor of the Year” Award from the New York Prosecutors Training Institute and his work specific to animal crimes has earned him the Humane Law Enforcement Award from the National Sheriffs Association and the Humane Society of the United States.

The team has established a list of protocols they must adhere to when prosecuting these specialized types of cases. Among them:

• BEAST ADAs are required to personally meet with the animal victims in animal cruelty cases. A first of its kind initiative.
• For environmental prosecutions, BEAST has coordinated with the court and outside agencies to create a community service program that will focus on beach clean-up, trail clean-up, and other environmentally-restorative projects.  
• For animal cruelty prosecutions, BEAST will collect all registry and protective orders relating to animals, coordinate periodic compliance checks, and prosecute resultant offenses.
• BEAST ADAs will also personally contribute to environmental projects throughout the island as part of DA Tierney’s office community outreach  initiative.
• ADA’s on the team are required to be on-call to law enforcement for warrants and field guidance 24/7/365.

BEAST has met with members of The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and shelter leadership and is continuing to meet with non-profit and municipal shelters around Long Island. 

Apart from in-house training, BEAST ADAs have attended specialized training with the NYS Animal Protection Federation and ASPCA at the New York State Police Academy in Albany.

DA Tierney has already hired a detective for animal crimes who came from NYPD’s animal cruelty investigation squad (ACIS) to add to the existing team of animal and environmental investigators.   These individuals will be detailed to BEAST for more centralized and consistent enforcement throughout Long Island.  

Suffolk County residents can contact BEAST directly at BEAST@suffolkcountyny.gov. Always call 911 in the event of an emergency.

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