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Police Department
SIPD Mission Statement
The principal mission of the Shelter Island Town Police Department is to protect life and property and to work with our citizens to reduce crime, disorder, and the fear of crime.
Through community-oriented and problem-solving policing the members of the Shelter Island Town Police Department will provide personalized services to the public with respect for human dignity according to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and accountability. It is essential that all members remember that in the execution of our duties, we act not for ourselves but for the good of the public.
SIPD Profile
The Town of Shelter Island is located geographically between the north and south forks of eastern Long Island in Suffolk County, New York. Shelter Island is approximately five miles by five miles in size and also encompasses surrounding bodies of water such as Shelter Island Sound, and Gardiners Bay.
The Shelter Island Town Police Department serves the community twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Our agency is one of the most unique police agencies in New York State; there is no bridge to the island and our ferry-only access limits immediate assistance from associated agencies. The Shelter Island Police Department takes great pride in its preparedness. The Department has two major sections, patrol and investigative. The patrol section handles all calls for service, preliminary investigations, and maritime activities. The investigation section handles all investigative and criminal cases.
Scams
Beware of Evolving Scam Technology
- Scammers are utilizing more advanced technology to make it more difficult to spot their deception.
- Screening calls using caller ID may no longer work since scammers are using spoofing software which allows them to mimic the IDs of legitimate sources.
- Neither government agencies nor utility companies will ask for payment in the form of prepaid gift cards.
- Caution and skepticism are the best defenses. Visit a biller's website to determine if you have any overdue bills.
- Beware of emails that appear to be bills from a utility company that asks for personal information. This can lead to identity theft.
Tips for Avoiding Charity Scams
Cryptocurrency Scams
Real Estate Scams
The Shelter Island Police Department has received numerous reports of real estate scams that include identity theft. Scammers are illegally using the identity of property owners and contacting real estate agents on Shelter Island and the North and South Forks trying to list properties for sale that they do not own. Real estate agents should be aware of these scams and be vigilant in their verification of the identity of those looking to sell a property. Please don't hesitate to contact the Shelter Island Police Department for further information or if you have questions.
Virtual Kidnapping Scams
View information on virtual kidnapping scams (PDF).
Publishers Clearing House Scam
View information on recent "Publishers Clearing House" scams.
Utility Company Phone Scams
Phone scammers posing as PSE&G employees are targeting customers on Shelter Island and across the nation. These scammers are using false phone numbers that could appear on a caller ID to be PSE&G, and a recording of their customer service phone message is used to make them sound legitimate. They then threaten to shut off service unless a payment is made immediately.
Most often, scammers demand payment via a pre-paid credit card that can be purchased at a local store. Sometimes they request payment to be made through a money transfer service such as Western Union or MoneyGram. These calls are not from PSE&G. PSE&G would never demand a specific type of payment or threaten immediate service termination.
If a caller directs you to go to a local store to purchase pre-paid cards to pay your bill, it is likely a scam. If you receive a strange call and are in doubt, hang up and call PSE&G on the number printed on your bill.
IRS Telephone Scam
Some residents of Shelter Island and Suffolk County have reported being contacted by a person who claims to be a representative of the Internal Revenue Service (or other governmental agency.) The caller often claims their role with the IRS is a senior auditor or investigator. Generally, the caller starts off with a polite "suggestion" that the IRS has uncovered some discrepancies with your filings and that you owe the IRS money. If you do not initially cave to their scheme, the callers have a history of amping up the pressure, becoming more accusatory, and in some cases claiming that a warrant has been issued for your arrest and that agents are on their way to arrest you. Do not provide these individuals with any personal information, banking information, credit/debit card numbers or send them money via electronic wire. If you get a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, the IRS recommends the following:
- If you know or believe that you owe taxes, contact the IRS at 800-829-1040.
- If you know that you do not owe taxes and believe that the call was a scam attempt, please call the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484.
Unemployment Scam Alert
As some of you may have recently seen in the news, there is a nationwide attempt to defraud many states' unemployment insurance programs. This scheme has targeted employees around the country, including some in Suffolk County. In an attempt to defraud the government, criminals file false claims in the employees' names in the hope of receiving unemployment payments from the state. The employees are not part of the scheme and in some cases may never know that their names have been used fraudulently. However, employers have received reports from employees that they have received unemployment benefits that they did not apply for. If you receive any notification that an unauthorized unemployment application has been applied for in your name, it is very important that you take the proper steps to alert the authorities about this fraud.