Nassau County To Close Half Of Its Police Precincts Under New Plan
MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Nassau County is getting ready to shut down half of its police precincts.
County Executive Ed Mangano and Police Commissioner Thomas Dale announced the move Monday.
The county will be implementing a new Community Policing Plan which includes the closing of four of the area's eight police precincts.
1010 WINS' Mona Rivera reports
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The First Precinct in Baldwin, Fifth Precinct in Elmont, Sixth Precinct in Manhasset and Eighth Precinct in Levittown will become community policing centers with fewer officers.
EXTRA: Precinct Map (pdf)
The Second Precinct in Woodbury, Third Precinct in Williston Park, Fourth Precinct in Hewlett and Seventh Precinct in Seaford will remain open and operate as a regular precinct.
WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs On The Story
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Officials said 48 police officers will be moved from desk jobs to so-called "problem-oriented police positions."
Mangano said the plan will save taxpayers up to $20 million a year, eliminating over 100 desk jobs and slashing overtime costs.
"Keeping residents safe is my number one priority," said Mangano. "This plan keeps all 177 patrols cars in their current neighborhoods, assigns more cops to POP and opens four new Community Policing Centers throughout the County while increasing efficiencies."
"This plan saves taxpayers significant dollars while streamlining duplicative work, redistributing workload and assigning more officers to POP and special patrol," said Dale. "Nassau County police officers change shift at their post and not at the station houses like you see in the movies. Residents should know that response time will not be impacted as police officers will remain in their current neighborhoods and additional officers will be assigned to our neighborhoods."
"Response time will not change. Every police officer will remain on his or her neighborhood post. In fact, 48 police officers will be assigned to patrol, and less to administrative duties," said Dale on Monday.
Nassau PBA President James Carver vows to fight the plan.
"With less places for the public to come to and feel safe, to be able to report something, and see a detective and see all the services that they have, it does negatively impact it," Carver told WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs.
"We currently have eight police precincts and they're trying to tell everybody that having four police precincts is a better way to police Nassau County, well they're dead wrong on this," Carver told 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera.
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