2012-02-16

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77th Year, No. 7 Freeport, N.Y. 11520 The; Community Newspaper Thursday, February 16, 2012 754
Columbus says 'we appreciate you'
STUDENTS FROM COLUMBUS
AVENUE SCHOOL celebrated the
memory of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. with the song "We Appreciate
You" at a recent Freeport Board of
Education meeting. See page 7
for more.
Rules Committee passes Precinct Plan
by Laura Schofer
On Monday, February 13 the Nassau
County Legislature's Rules Committee
voted 4-3 along party lines to transform
four police precincts,' including the First
Precinct in Baldwin, to community
policing centers.
Voting in favor of the proposal were
Republicans Peter Schmitt, Howard
Kopel, Dennis Dunne and Rose Marie
Walker. Those opposed were Democrats
Kevan Abrahams, Judy Jacobs and
Wayne Wink.
Legislator David Denenberg told The
Leader that residents waited four hours
to speak before the Legislature.
Committee chairman Dennis Dunne
[Republican, 15th L.D.] "refused to per-mit
the public to speak first. He had the
[police] commissioner [Thomas V. Dale]
and deputy county executive [Rob
Walker] make their presentations and
then took questions from legislators.
Then the public was permitted to speak,"
said Mr. Denenberg.
. Last week County Executive Edward
Mangano put a proposal before the Rules
Committee to close the First, Fifth, Sixth
and Eighth Precincts that will save $20
million. The proposal will eliminate 100
positions within the police department;
87 officers and 13 civilians.
However Legislator David Denenberg
told our sister paper Bellmore Life that
the county's budget review office stated
the savings would be closer to $12 mil-lion
and does not factor in termination
pay and the construction costs needed to
convert the closed precincts into policing
centers as well as update the remaining
four precincts.
"Baldwin [First Precinct] has two hold
cells, Seaford has one cell," said Mr.
Denenberg, referring to upgrading the
Seventh Precinct.
The county says the plan will put 48
officers back on the streets. But Mr.
Denenberg told The Leader this is "mis-leading.
You need those police officers in
the new community policing centers," he
said. "There will be no additional POP
[Problem Oriented Policing] officers."
But the county executive believes this
initiative will change the status quo and
serve the public well.
"When you dial 911, the call goes to a
911 Call Center in New Cassel, then to
the police car in your neighborhood.
That will not changed under this plan as
all 177 patrol cars remain in their current
neighborhoods. The three dozen police
officers earning six-figure salaries that
staff administrative desk jobs in the back
office of the police precinct will not be
moved," said County Executive
Mangano in a prepared statement.
"Currently, these officers are restricted
by contractual rules from leaving their
position to assist the public. They must
man these positions 24 hours a day,
seven days a week and do not have
police cars at their disposal. This plan
consolidates these administrative desk
positions within the four precincts while
keeping all eight current buildings open
- four as precincts and four as
Community Policing Centers."
But Mr. Denenberg pointed to a poten-tial
loophole in the police contract that
could possibly reduce the number of
patrols on the street. "The number of
patrols is tied to the number of
precincts," said Mr. Denenberg. "If you
eliminate four precincts, you could by
contract reduce the number of police on
the street."
Mr. Mangano said the objections to the
closing of precincts are "playing politics
with public safety."
But county Legislator Joseph Scannell
scoffed at this accusation. "When [for-mer
County Executive] Thomas Suozzi
wanted to move the precinct to
Roosevelt, I fought him. He was a
Democrat," said Legislator Scannell.
"Baldwin has had a precinct for 75 years
and we want it to remain in Baldwin."
Linda Prussen contributed to this
story.
NAMES MAKE THE NEWS: Read about your neighbors! 54 local people's names were in your community newspaper this past week. Maybe yours is in this week! See inside.
Operation SPLASH
returns
page 2
Tackapausha's
fate?
page 10
Town Hall meeting
in Baldwin
page 6
Faith Mission needs
a new home
page 8