Precinct changes, crime discussed at local safety forum

Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Dale and inspectors from the 1st, 3rd and 8th Precincts spoke at a public safety forum held by Legislator Norma Gonsalves at the East Meadow Fire Department Headquarters on March 15. The precinct redesign and burglaries were the main topics of conversation.

About 50 residents and police officers from East Meadow, Salisbury, Bellmore, Merrick and Franklin Square were present at the meeting where Dale began by introducing himself and quickly transitioned to explain his plan for the Nassau County Police Department.

“Safety is our number one issue,” he assured the audience. “Whatever we do, if we can’t do it safely, we’re not doing it.” After considering safety, he said precinct workload was addressed, saying he looked at accidents, arrests and tickets issued to determine if workload was balanced and found that it was not.

“I’m not closing the precincts,” said Dale. “The precincts are staying open as policing centers . . . I promise you, cops will still be going back and forth like they are now,” he explained to residents who were concerned about police response time. Dale added the average dispatch time in 2011 was six minutes and said this would not change.

Some residents at the meeting were displease that the plan was moving forward and also placed blame on Gonsalves, who voted in favor of the reorganization during legislative meetings.

“Everybody in the room, that I could tell, was against this thing,” said Supervisor Officers Association representative Bob Galgano. “One woman, Milagros Vicente from Elmont and North Valley Stream, stood up . . . with over 7,500 signatures in opposition to this thing. I don’t think there’s a legislature on that board who got 7,500 votes in the last election.”

Gonsalves, who became irritated by the backlash from her constituents, responded to their opposition and said, “If I thought deep down in my heart that public safety was going to be compromised, I would have never voted for the plan.”

Local issues
During the forum, Gonsalves temporarily halted questions to Dale and asked local inspectors to address the standing-room-only crowd on community problems.
According to 3rd Precinct Inspector Kevin Canavan, who said if the precinct plan goes through, the officers will do their best to make it work, said that for the first time in more than three years, major crime dropped below 100 incidences in a 28-day period. However, copper burglaries from vacant homes and “local kids” smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol near Bowling Green Elementary School and in the sumps continues to be an issue that is being addressed.

Parking in residential blocks near Nassau University Medical Center continued in East Meadow and Inspector Mike Studdert in the 1st Precinct is sending parking enforcement agents to this area. He said, “Since the beginning of the year, they’ve issued over 312 summons; 151 on Roosevelt Avenue, 88 on Franklin Avenue, 19 on Jefferson, 36 on First, 15 on Second and three on Third Street.”

Daytime burglaries continue to be a problem, Studdert added, and said, “I can’t emphasis this enough. We need your help out there. When you see something, call. You guys know who belong on your blocks.”

Burglaries and vehicle larcenies are also an issue in the 8th Precinct, which includes 16 blocks of East Meadow, said Inspector John Johnson, “Most of the arrests we’ve made are related to prescription drugs,” Johnson added. A 23-year-old girl from Massapequa, who was recently arrested for burglarizing local homes, told Johnson, “You don’t know how hard it is to get off oxycontin. I would do anything to get it,” he said.

Dale also commented on burglaries adding that local residents are responsible for some incidents while others are coming to Long Island from other areas. “They get off the highway. They see the houses. It’s a quick hit. They hit it and they run out,” he said.