Based on information to date or, rather, a lack thereof, I oppose County Executive Edward Mangano's police precinct closure plan, which he labels an “enhanced” approach to policing. Last year, Mr. Mangano proposed closing two police precincts. Now, he wants double that number, cutting half our county’s precincts.
To close four precincts – two of which are among the three busiest in the county – is irresponsible, fiscally and logically. It is also troubling that the County Executive is using public funds and/or phone lists for robo-calls to tout his plan and provide misinformation regarding alleged savings.
It is difficult to back a plan that eliminates our precincts, and replaces them with community centers, staffed by only two police officers, especially when we are experiencing an increase in crime. At one of the precincts set to close, the First, major crime is up almost 14 percent. During the past year alone, burglaries are up an astounding 24 percent.
We have seen a rise in prescription drug abuse, senior home invasions, armed robberies and other serious crimes throughout the county. Our County Executive continues to reduce our police force (now below 2,300 when it was 2,700 in 2009) and jeopardize public safety, despite this documented increase in violent crime and his elimination of our special patrols such as problem-oriented police, heroin taskforce, anti-gang unit, DWI, plainclothes and traffic enforcement.
Mr. Mangano says his plan will save money. But, he has consistently gotten his numbers wrong. Massive layoffs were to save $75 million, but only saved $21 million. Yet, spending on outside contracts to politically connected firms and administrative costs are up over $20 million.
Additionally, Mr. Mangano’s administration has failed to collect more than $44 million in unpaid traffic fines. The county has not saved what he says it will save, and his administration does not collect revenue that he budgeted from his unprecedented fee increases.
Taxes will not decrease with these police cuts. The only thing to decrease is the service received for the taxes being paid – 108 officers and four precincts less. So why should we believe him this time? I am not willing to compromise our quality of life and public safety on his word.
On Monday at a hearing, the actual plan was first presented to me without research, details or facts to back up “projected” savings of $20 million. The “plan” does not include a fiscal analysis or a single word about associated costs or how much will be spent in incentive pay.
At this public safety hearing, my questions went unanswered and the hearing was recessed. The plan neglects to mention how existing precincts will house twice the activities or the cost to renovate these community policing centers, which will replace the First, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Precinct buildings, or what these centers will be. No information was provided about $15 million being spent on a new First Precinct (community center?) or what will happen to ambulances or other functions operated from the closed precincts.
There are too many unanswered questions for this plan to receive my support. Nassau residents pay some of the highest taxes in the country. In return, at the very least, our quality of life and public safety must be protected and not jeopardized.
Input from community leaders and residents is always welcome. I am hosting a meeting with Leg. Scannell and on Feb. 16 with the North and Central Merrick Civic Association. There will be a hearing on Monday, Feb. 13 at 11 am, at the County Legislature and I encourage anyone who feels strongly regarding this issue to come and speak.
If you cannot attend, please send me a statement to give to County Executive Mangano and Majority Leader Schmitt about the precinct closings. You can call my office at 571-6219 or email me at ddenenberg@nassaucountyny.gov.
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Nassau County Legis. Dave Denenberg, D-Merrick
What then, would be your alternative idea for reducing the high cost of police services in Nassau County?
This change in precincts does not change any of the 117 patrols or decrease a single officer on the street. Also with accident reports being posted online this year, the number one reason to visit a precinct, it is highly unlikely you will see anything more than a huge decrease in visitation to local precincts. None of these locations are being shutdown however to allow the communities to have a police operated center still in their communities. Change of shift for patrols happens at location of patrol not the precinct. Also Mangano's plan forces forty-something of the officers being removed from the precincts to be relocated as problem-oriented police officers, from their desk jobs to solving local community and high crime areas. The department is hurting from a systematic slow down of policing, organized and being investigated on the state level by the Nassau PBA. Atlantic Beach Mayor for example, complains of officers not patrolling the neighborhood and ticketing speeders, but sitting around at the 4th precinct. Also an administrative officer visiting a West Hempstead Association meeting complained about the amount of officers taking excessive sick days hurting patrols. One wonders if crime is up because an attack on compensation is occurring.
Dave?
The fact is that Mangano did cut the Problem Oriented Police Unit, Plain Clothes Units, School Safety Officers, Gang Unit, Heroin Unit and many other "extras". The only thing that is true is that the number of cars out on patrol won't change. So, if you call 911, you will get a response however, don't look for extra traffic enforcement for those speeders, more than occasional extra patrol for DWI's, extra undercover attention for pot smoking/dealing punks or gang bangers, or anything else that typical police on patrol can't provide. Funny how everyone thinks office personnel is not necessary either. Gotta love places that get rid of the personnel but not the responsibilities.and expect the same response/service. Precincts, nor do any other businesses for that matter, run themselves. The people who don't find the precincts necessary are the people who fortunately never had to utilize them. More with less only goes so far. The only reason those 4 precincts are becoming "community centers" is so they can say they aren't really "closing" half the precincts...Smoke and mirrors...
Meantime, a number of other issues related to the police department have been discussed; some of them bear, more broadly, on the attitude people have towards police in Nassau County and their performance. I mean no disrespect to anyone, but whether you think the police in Nassau County are bona fide heros or bona fide bums doesn't matter to me. What does matter to me is that the last time I looked at my county property tax bill over 60% of what I was paying went to two items: "county police" and "county police headquarters." Let me repeat that for those who may have been reaching for the oxygen: over SIXTY percent. Here's another thing that matters to me: even while the rest of the country is starting to experience some modest level of economic recovery, Long Island continues to shed jobs, companies continue to leave the area, our economic base continues to shrink, and our childrens' future on Long Island continues to be compromised. And if you don't think high taxes have something to do with this, let me suggest a course in basic economics. That is why I asked Mr. Denenberg for his thoughts on reducing police costs; the fact that he hasn't chosen to respond is of course dissappointing. County taxpayers deserve an answer.
Human nature, people arent to give up ANYTHING without a fight - it has to hit home and between the eyes before they realize that perhaps a compromise is better for all in the long run.
Burglaries were actually abnormally low in 2011 - and that's not hard to figure out why. As we can all painfully recall, last winter featured numerous sizable blizzards,which meant that there were a lot more people at home, a rather inconvenient development for a burglar. Also, one has to assume that for anyone who might be tempted to commit a crime requiring a fast get-away, having lots of snow on the ground presents something of a complication. Kudos to Newsday for highlighting this information. It's a shame that it's taken this long to bring this to the public's attention; it's even more of a shame that, at least to my knowledge, not one public officlal has noted this issue.