Nassau County Police Nix Half Of Precinct Merger Plan

MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Nassau County's highly controversial police precinct merger plan has been shelved halfway through the project.

The original plan was to merge eight Nassau County precincts into four in an effort to save about $20 million annually.

But two years after the controversial plan began, it's been canceled after only four of the precincts were consolidated.

It appears cost is the reason for the cancellation, WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs reported.

Officials with the Legislative Budget Review Office said police overtime expenses neutralized the projected savings, Xirinachs reported.

So far, there has been no comment from Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano.

Police Union President James Carver, a longtime critic of the precinct merger proposal, has scheduled an afternoon news conference.

He told 1010 WINS earlier Monday that Mangano's office told him that the county plans to reopen the 5th Precinct early next year, and that the 1st and 7th precincts will not be merged as originally planned in 2012.

"I think it's great news for the residents of the 5th Precinct and obviously the 1st and the 7th, which were never merged, but the 5th was merged into the 4th back in 2012 and opening that I think breathes new life into the community," Carver said. "And I think this is only a positive step forward."

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