Aug 1, 2017 4:14 PM

There’s a new police chief in town, and one noticeable bit of evidence: Southampton Town Police officers may be seen carrying assault rifles and wearing bulletproof vests at events this summer.

Police Chief Steven Skrynecki, who officially took over in May after working as a consultant for the town for several months, said the move to arm Town Police officers with assault rifles is in response to the various terrorist attacks in the U.S. and around the world. The semi-automatic M4-type rifles were first used at the Bridgehampton Half Marathon back in April and have been spotted at various public and private events where Town Police are providing security this summer.

“Some of the [terrorist] groups are encouraging lone-wolf or inspired action toward the very type of events here in the Hamptons,” Chief Skrynecki said. He added that the police department recognizes that many residents of and visitors to the Hamptons are targets of terrorist groups who set their sights on symbols of freedom and social expression.

There has never been a terrorist attack on the East End, and Southampton Town Police Lieutenant Susan Ralph said the arming of police officers with assault rifles is not based on any direct threat—it’s just an effort to increase security.

During the interview process, Chief Skrynecki said, he suggested to the Town Board and supervisor that they should pay more attention to terrorism and how the East End could be a potential target.

He noted recent attacks on people in open places, such as the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, 2013, and the rogue truck that targeted innocent people during Bastille Day on July 14, 2016, in Nice, France, as well as similar, more recent attacks in London, England.

Because of the wide variety of events held throughout Southampton Town, Chief Skrynecki said each event will be analyzed for potential threats, and a plan of action will be taken to keep residents and visitors safe.

Chief Skrynecki also said he plans to work with the Suffolk County and Nassau County police departments and their intelligence centers to stay abreast of any chatter from social media websites or any other sources that people could be planning a disruption or expressing disdain for a particular group of people.

That includes using what Chief Skrynecki calls Counter Terrorist Units. CTUs include specially trained and equipped officers, as well as obstacles and barricades, to dissuade attackers and stop trucks from getting to where people are congregated.

Before each event, the chief said he and/or members of his police force will meet with event organizers to come up with the best platform of security that creates the least amount of disruption for the event.

“Clearly, they are deserving of the most security that we can provide to them so they can enjoy their event,” he said.

The weapons held by the officers are not simply for show and will be loaded, Chief Skrynecki said, because he does not want his team waiting for members of a SWAT team to arrive in the event of a crisis.

Chief Skrynecki said he wants to show the police department’s presence but does not want it to be overbearing on the patrons. In fact, officers carrying assault rifles are instructed not to walk around an event, but will be positioned at potential points of attack. He said undercover officers could be mixed into crowds to help keep an eye out for things out of the norm.

Officers who are trained on these weapons are required to receive quarterly training and annual weapon re-qualification, Chief Skrynecki said, providing them with more training sessions than before.

Although Southampton is just now getting these precautionary measures, Chief Skrynecki said he watched measures get ramped up very quickly in Nassau County when he worked for its police department. “This is just a little late coming here, but certainly necessary,” he said.

As far as the cost of the weapons, the chief did not have specific numbers, but noted the weapons are brought to the department new, instead of through demilitarized military surplus.

Chief Skrynecki stressed that there is no immediate threat to the East End but said it does not hurt to be prepared.

“There is no active intelligence to suggest attacks are being planned,” he said. “This in an abundance of caution. We live in a world where individuals are acting out, sometimes inspired by some of these terrorist groups. We want to be well-prepared to protect.”