The recent announcement from Nassau County to its eight police precincts into four has drawn much speculation and concern from residents, politicians and PBA officials.
The idea behind the plan is an elimination of more than 100 desk jobs and slashes "costly" built-in overtime benefits, County Executive Ed Mangano said.
The merger also corrects a workload imbalance that had been seen throughout the eight precincts, as three police precincts presently perform twice the workload of the remaining five precincts.
While Police Commissioner Thomas Dale has thrown his support behind this plan, the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association (PBA) has been adamantly against it.
PBA President Jim Carver cited a potential increase in police response time and a recent spike in crime as concerns surrounding this plan.
"They’re taking 10 pounds of crime and putting it in a 5-pound bag," Carver told Patch.
However, the county has stood by its plan and claims that the police services that Nassau residents are familiar with will not change.
"Residents should not be fooled by the PBA's scare tactics," Mangano said. "When you dial 911, the call goes to a 911 call center in New Cassel, then to the police car in your neighborhood — that will not change under this plan as all 177 patrol cars remain in their current neighborhoods."
The Eighth Precinct will be converted into a community policing center approximately 30 days after legislative approval, which will more than likely happen at the Feb. 27 legislative meeting. Every 60 days thereafter, a new precinct will be realigned in this order; the Sixth, Fifth and First.
The county added that the 60-day cycle is not written in stone and will be adjusted as deemed necessary by the police commissioner.
Carver said that the 60-day cycle is not enough time. The PBA president said that the county should close one precinct on a trial basis and then re-evaluate.
“We are rushing into something that I believe is going to change policing for the next 50 years and negatively impact the way we police out here," Carver said. "It’s not good for anyone.”
The PBA also contends that there will not be more police on patrol, but the county has said the plan will "increase the number cops available for enforcement."
Nassau legislators will vote on the precinct merger on Monday, Feb. 27.
This is the first part of our series on the plan to merge the precincts in Nassau County. Check back with Patch for more on this special report.
You convinced me that there are vicious roaming gangs of Salvadoreans who have taken over every community in Nassau Co. I'm afraid to leave my apartment.
TO DR. GORDON & THE REST OF OUR COMMUNITY: ??????????/HOW CAN YOU TAKE CHARGE OF OUR CHILDREN WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN?????????
Bradley Gordon done with drinking and smoking Like · · Share · 20 hours ago near Port Washington · Bradley Gordon ik its surprising 20 hours ago · Like · 1 Bradley Gordon yup 20 hours ago · Like · 1 Bradley Gordon dont need luck i have the lord on my side 20 hours ago · Like · 3 Bradley Gordon so 20 hours ago · Like Bradley Gordon that doesnt mean shit 20 hours ago · Like · 3 Bradley Gordon thank u Bradley Gordon but i started at a younger age then most so if i quit now i shouldnt have problems in the future 20 hours ago · Like This says it all!!!!!!!!!!
I just had some business to do in Laurel Hollow, Oyster Bay Cove, and Cove Neck. So far NO signs of any gang activity, but I did spot some Latino looking guys exercising some horses in a private corral. Maybe they were actually trying to steal those thoroughbreds or dope them up for their next race. Drove past the Fish Hatchery. No gangbangers there either, trying to steal some guppies or shake down the Director. So maybe some of youse should reword your destructive accusations against our beloved neighborhoods.
how about you go to the FBI office in Melville and ask to speak to one of the task force members about gangs on LI and let me know what they tell you.
And there are posters here acting like gangs are something new. Did these people see the show West Side Story, Boys in the Hood, or even The Gangs of New York? There have been serious gang problems in New York since the 1800's. And they were all violent and involved in illegal gambling, prostitution, bootlegging, hijackings, narcotics, kidnapping, and murder. Now, because its involving Latinos, instead of Irish, Italians, Jews, Russians, or Blacks, some here have to spread hysteria just to save a few police jobs? And now parents here are afraid they wont be able to keep their kids awsy from the drug dealers on their corner. How about trying another excuse to bankrupt the County and scare the public?
"Gangs bring the drugs in from places like El Salvador, Columbia and other impoverished places (poor countries). Street level dealers who do business with the gangs (reads not gang member, just a drug dealer) sell the drugs in the neighborhood, Did you understand that?" Now let's talk about something constructive, freeing up SIS Squad detectives to address Gang problems. Instead of escorting elected officials around. Did you know that there is an SIS detail assigned to a Federal Elected Official from the South Shore? The US Capitol Police did a threat assessment and determined that he did not need extra security but he has a PDCN detail from the minute he steps off the plane in Queens until the minute he gets on the plane back toe DC. Best part is that he drives himself around in DC! How about the 4 SIS Detectives that the CE uses? Is there a credible threat on the CE's life that he needs a detail? A driver probably would suffice for the CE but let's make ourselves look important. The 8-10 bodies on rotation handling these two details are costing the Nassau County Taxpayer about 2 million a year give or take.
It falls squarely on the heads of adults who use pain killers as a legal and cheap way of getting high.
We're going to pay whether we like it or not.
"Watch you" what Mr. Tough Guy?
Granted they are entitled to due process but even of they get convited they will still get the pensions.