HAUPPAUGE - Flanked by environmental advocates, Suffolk County Executive Steven Levy and officials broke ground today on the county’s greenest initiative to date -- a new building for the Suffolk County Police Department’s Fourth Precinct.

The new three-story, 36,800-square-foot Fourth Precinct will be located near the easternmost entrance of the North County Complex, in Hauppauge. The new facility is more than double the size of the existing building, which is the smallest of the county’s seven precinct buildings. The larger size will not impact energy costs, however, thanks to all of the energy-efficient measures.

Incorporating the most advanced energy-efficient systems to date, the $27.9 million Fourth Precinct building will be the first municipal facility on Long Island to have attained a Silver Standard from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

“In 18 months, green will be the new blue for our police force,” Levy said. “This building will not simply provide the dedicated officers of our Fourth Precinct with a larger base; it will serve as an example of what Suffolk County can become. We have similar plans being put into place around Suffolk, including a 40-kilowatt solar system at our police headquarters and another at the county’s Environmental and Interpretive Center; the Dennison Building is undergoing a series of green initiatives at this moment; and our Riverhead facilities are currently being expanded and updated with more energy-efficient technology.”