ICYMI: The Smithtown News Declares: ‘Sini is a Solid DA Contender’
Editorial: Sini is a Solid DA Contender
May 18, 2017
Anybody who tells you that they haven’t changed their mind from time to time is not being truthful. That Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy Sini changed his mind is a good thing.
After taking over last year, Commissioner Sini has been a solid police commissioner, restoring integrity to a police force roiled in corruption. During his short tenure in office, Commissioner Sini has been a dynamic leader of one of the largest suburban police departments in America.
Commissioner Sini has taken on the major criminal issues facing our county, such as gang violence, and he has been an articulate spokesman for the department. He appears at civic meetings, chamber of commerce lunches, before service groups, etc. He provides detailed public updates about the major department initiatives and he is an open book when answering questions from these audiences.
During all of this he has distinguished himself as a formidable candidate for District Attorney. He has the credentials for the job and is a perfect fit, and after throwing his hat in the ring last week he has to be considered the frontrunner for the Democratic designation.
As it turns out though, during his confirmation hearing last year he was asked if his intention is to run for DA, and he answered no. “I am not running for District Attorney in 2017.”
With DA Thomas Spota announcing his intention to retire after 16 years on the job, Mr. Sini jumped in the race. Obviously, he changed his mind from the time of the confirmation hearing. Now he is being criticized by Republican legislators, including the two from Smithtown, who are accusing him of lying. But, you have to wonder why they are asking him at a confirmation hearing if he’s running for DA?
It’s politics, a question intended just for this moment.
The Republicans will say he lied, the Democrats will counter that he changed his mind. It will be a political distraction, maybe for just a while and maybe through the whole campaign. Who knows?
From this vantage point, though, a good man just entered the race for DA and that will benefit all of us.
Commissioner Sini has everything it takes to be a good DA for Suffolk County and he is a great candidate for the Democratic Party. Who the Republican candidate will be is yet to be determined, but that individual will have to make quite the case to win this race.
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