William Floyd ‘Speedway’ Draws Police Focus

Seventh Precinct Inspector Robert Monten told Mastic-Shirley residents that increasing traffic enforcement is a priority as police target speeding, reckless driving and other violations on some of the area’s busiest roads.

Speaking before the Pattersquash Creek Civic Association, Monten said traffic-stop data helps the Suffolk County Police Department determine where enforcement is needed while also providing a way to evaluate officer activity.

“My priority is to make sure we have enough resources to create more traffic stops,” Monten said. “Traffic safety is a major concern and we are stopping more people in the areas where most of the accidents occur.”

In the Mastic-Shirley area, that puts particular attention on William Floyd Parkway, the heavily traveled north-south corridor residents at the meeting jokingly referred to as the “William Floyd Speedway.”

“I drive the speed limit and people fly by like it’s a drag strip,” one resident said. “Now they’re even passing me on motorized bicycles.”

The complaints mirror concerns frequently raised by residents about speeding and aggressive driving along William Floyd Parkway and other major roads serving Shirley, Mastic and Mastic Beach.

The problem is not merely perception. In May, a Seventh Precinct officer spotted a Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger allegedly racing southbound on William Floyd Parkway. Police said both drivers accelerated when the officer attempted to stop them and continued across the Smith Point Bridge before additional officers stopped the vehicles. Both drivers were cited for an unlawful speed contest, reckless driving and other violations.

Suffolk police publish traffic-stop information through the department’s Transparency Hub, including data for the first two quarters of 2026.

Monten said the goal locally is straightforward: put officers where crashes and dangerous driving are occurring and increase enforcement before the next traffic stop becomes an accident.