An animal can’t call 911, and neither can a tree, Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Jed Painter underscored, explaining a new initiative called the Biological, Environmental and Animal Safety Team, or BEAST, launched by Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. The first-of-its-kind combined unit for the prosecution of animal and environmental crimes, BEAST is manned by nine prosecutors from an array of units within the DA’s office, all volunteering hours...