Pat Nicolosi, president of the Elmont East End Civic Association, said he has seen officers from different precincts in his area in recent weeks — in addition to more people knowingly violating the rules of the road. “People know that the police presence has diminished, and … so they’re doing 70 miles an hour on Franklin Avenue,” he said. “They’re blowing by these buses with the stop signs out.”

Vicente said she decided to host the forum because many residents had been expressing their concerns about the plan. After the meeting, she said, “Save the 5th Precinct is still going to keep track of what’s going on with the merger and continue to get feedback from residents as far as how they feel.”