Community Council coming to 5th Precinct

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The Nassau County Fifth Precinct in Elmont is in the beginning stages of starting a community council that would bring issues that are important to residents, directly to the police officers in their neighborhoods.

The council will most likely be comprised of 12 people and act as the voice of the residents. Community leaders first broached the idea in August of 2015. They spoke with Acting Commissioner Krumpter, who agreed that more community involvement is a good thing, said Fifth Precinct Executive Officer, Inspector James Bartsherer. Members are selected by Bartsherer and many are active in their communities and have contacted him in the past regarding police issues.

“The precinct can hear from a few representatives of the community what the concerns are and be instrumental in formulating ideas and programs in addressing those concerns, said Bartsherer. “This is just a way of trying to formulate a collaborative effort with the community.”

Though no on reason was given for the formation of the council, Inspector Bartsherer agreed that more community involvement is necessary given the recent protests against police following incidents in Staten Island and Chicago. Recently Nassau County reinstituted its problem orienting policing unit in every precinct. That unit deal directly with citizen’s concerns and responds to incidents that aren’t an emergency.

“Some of that must have been a factor,” said Bartsherer. “What the department always does is reassess how things are with the community.

The logistics of the council are still being ironed out Bartsherer said, but he believes that they meet every other month and be comprised of community leaders and concerned residents. It is Bartsherer’s hope that the council will be up and running in a few months.

One such community leader that Bartsherer has contacted is David Sabitino, the director of operations for the Valley Stream Civilian Patrol. It is Sabitino’s wish that the council introduce more people to who the officers are that protect them.

“How do we get people to still feel like their police is working for them,” said Sabitino. “They want to know that they can trust and have faith that police will be there when they need them.”

One way to ensure this facetime, is to have officers attend meetings and functions at schools and civic association meetings. Currently many officers in the fifth precinct are active in this way,.

“Wherever we can facilitate that and get police officers out into the neighborhood, more frequently, outside of their patrol car, that would be a goal of mine,” said Sabitino.