Patricia McGayhey on the job with the Nissequogue Police Department. (Courtesy photo)
Patricia McGayhey, 55, now retired but still working part-time for the Nissequogue Police Department, has the distinction of being the first woman ever appointed to the Shelter Island Police Department.
Officer McGayhey had worked two summers as a traffic control officer on Shelter Island before being invited by then-Chief George Ferrer in 1988 to apply as a part-time officer with the department.
Originally, she thought she might pursue a job in marketing, or as a physical education teacher or veterinarian. But she decided her calling was police work. That came after she spent two years at SUNY Agricultural College, now known as SUNY Canton, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from SUNY Plattsburgh.
Woman tapped to join Shelter Island Police Department Traffic Control Officer Taylor Rando, on the job on Grand Avenue during the summer of 2019. (Graham Moore photo)
Taylor Rando has been appointed as a probationary police officer with the Shelter Island Police Department effective Tuesday.
Ms. Rando, who has been a traffic control officer, is undergoing training at the Suffolk County Police Academy. She was already among top scorers on the test necessary to establish her as a candidate for an appointment and has passed the county background check, Chief Jim Read said.
Her appointment by the Town Board at a special meeting fulfills an effort to place a woman on the currently all-male staff that the chief had suggested to the Police Reform Task Force, which filed its report with New York State at the end of March.
Town preps for federal coronavirus relief funds and assistance (Reporter file photo)
The Shelter Island Town Board took a first step Friday toward obtaining funds from the federal Corona Virus Relief Program, moving quickly to set in motion its application.
It’s currently unknown what money might be available to the town for expenses incurred in conjunction with services it’s had to implement to deal with the pandemic. But it’s assumed that when the town learns specifics about what money it might receive, there would be a short period in which to apply. Rather than wait for more details, it’s authorized Supervisor Gerry Siller to apply for and accept any federal grants or assistance.