LONG ISLAND (PIX11) — Suffolk County is about to lose its police commissioner. Rodney Harrison is tendering his resignation on Friday, according to this email, sent to the force — and obtained by PIX11 News.
Harrison, the first black Suffolk County Police Commissioner, took over at the end of 2021, coming from the Chief of Department role in the NYPD.
His most high-profile accomplishment was the arrest of accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann in July, a married architect from Massapequa Park.
Harrison had launched a Gilgo Beach homicide task force with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, New York State Police, FBI, and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office in early 2022.
Heuermann was identified by investigators as a prime suspect in March 2022. He was arrested more than a year later near his midtown office on July 13, 2023.
The email read in part:
Serving as the Suffolk County Police Commissioner for the past two years was not only a privilege but one of the greatest highlights of my law enforcement career and that is because of you…It has been an honor to be part of this organization and work with so many talented
Rodney Harrison
individuals. Each day, I have been impressed by stories of heroism, bravery, and dedication to the residents of this county. To say I appreciate and admire each one of you, is an understatement.”
Jonathan Rizk is a digital journalist who has covered local news in the New York City and Washington D.C. areas. He has been with PIX11 since August 2022. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
