Night Out a success in East Meadow

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Dozens of children and their parents gathered in Veterans Memorial Park in East Meadow on Aug. 6 as they watched a robot wheel its way in front of the crowd, extend a mechanical arm and clutch a guest’s water bottle.

Controlling the robot were detectives Keith Blum and Chris Marciano, both members of the Nassau County Police Department Arson Bomb Squad. Asked about the robot’s purpose, Blum said, with a laugh, “he does show-and-tells” and, Marciano added, “and he signs autographs.”

The military-grade robot is used by the county to “remotely investigate suspicious items,” Marciano said. He and Blum were among the speakers at East Meadow’s National Night Out.

Communities throughout Nassau County hosted events in honor of the nationwide police appreciation day and East Meadow has had its own for roughly the past 30 years, as hosted by the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations.

Speaking at the event were community activists and elected officials, such as Norma Gonsalves, Patrick Ryder, the commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department, Legislator Thomas McKevitt (R, D-13), Legislator John Ferretti (R, D-15), 17th District Assemblyman John Mikulin and CEMCO President Joe Parisi.

Also on hand to answer questions were members of the Nassau County Police Department’s 1st and 3rd Precincts, Return Every Adult & Child Home program, Explorers program, Crime Victims Center, Amateur Observers’ Society, Meghan’s Law, and Nassau University Medical Center.

Commissioner Ryder explained that residents are so used to hearing bad news from police and only interacting with them after a crime or accident. “Today is all about positivity and strengthening our relationship with the community,” he said.