The Bolla Charity Foundation has donated $1 million to support the construction of a Suffolk County Police Training Village in Westhampton, a project designed to provide state-of-the-art training for law enforcement officers.
The historic donation was announced at the foundation's annual fundraising gala.
Bolla CEO Harry Singh and his wife, Kamljit Singh, were joined by representatives of the Suffolk County Police Foundation and local government and law enforcement leaders to unveil the gift.
Singh said the donation reflects the organization's commitment to supporting both law enforcement and the communities they serve.
"Giving back to the community, helping the police train their police officers, so when they go out on the road, they know exactly how to serve our local communities, how to keep us safe, and also be safe for themselves," Singh said.
He added that it is essential for officers to have access to modern, state-of-the-art training facilities that prepare them for the challenges they face in the field.
County leaders, law enforcement officials and supporters of the project attended the announcement to show their support for officers and the work they do to keep local communities safe.
Among those in attendance was Lisa Tuozzolo, co-founder and director of the Suffolk County Police Foundation. Tuozzolo is the widow of NYPD Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo, who was shot and killed in the line of duty 10 years ago.
Tuozzolo said ensuring officers receive the best possible training is deeply personal to her.
"It's one of my missions is to make sure that every officer gets to go home to their families each and every night," Tuozzolo said. "It's just so vitally important to make sure that our officers have the state-of-the-art training they are up to date. They are fully prepared as much as possible."
The donation marks the second $1 million gift the Bolla Charity Foundation has made to support law enforcement training. The foundation previously donated $1 million to the Nassau County Police Training Center, which opened last year. Singh said that investment has helped hundreds of officers feel more prepared in the field.
Officials attending the announcement included Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.