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Mostly Cloudy Legislature OK’s police retirement plan
Democrats gain written commitments from Mangano
The Nassau County Legislature voted unanimously on March 19 to approve a police retirement incentive plan that County Executive Edward Mangano said was a key component of the controversial new community policing center plan, which will turn four of the county’s eight police precincts into Community Policing Centers.
In order to garner the votes needed for the incentive plan, Mangano appeased Democrats, who had expressed frustration with the plan, with guarantees to increase the staff at the centers and to decrease the amount of money he asked to borrow to cover the cost of retiring officers from $50 million to $26.5 million, according to Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams.
Previously, two officers would have been stationed at the community centers, down from the 39 officers who staff a police precinct. The new staffing number for the centers was not specified.
Borrowing money requires a supermajority, or a two-thirds vote, of the Legislature. The 10 Republicans needed at least three of the nine Democrats to vote for the incentive plan, giving the Democrats leverage.
“After the disastrous move by the county executive and the Republican majority to close half of the precincts in Nassau, the Democratic caucus was successful in pushing Ed Mangano’s back against the wall so that he gave us a signed guarantee that there would not be one less patrol car in any neighborhood in Nassau County…” said Abrahams in a statement released after the vote.
Mangano has repeatedly said that this incentive will allow the county to see savings of up to $20 million in conjunction with the community policing center plan.
“I am happy that the legislature unanimously approved our plans to increase public safety and maximize savings for taxpayers,” Mangano said in a written statement.
The community-policing plan will turn the 1st precinct in Baldwin, the 5th precinct in Elmont, the 6th precinct in Manhasset and the 8th precinct in Manhasset into community policing centers, which would no longer handle any administrative paperwork or criminal processing.
