Meeting with Seventh Precinct police commander 4.7.2014.
These are merely my notes from the meeting, and errors can be corrected.
County Legislator David Denenberg arranged this meeting at the
Seaford Library, for 7:30 p.m. Dan, a
legislative assistant, arrived first. He
said Denenberg was at a special session of the Nassau Legislature (true), but
would come. Inspector Joseph Barbieri of
the Seventh Precinct would be late.
Dan said that out the consolidation of the First Precinct into
the Seventh Precinct is “off the table.”
At 7:50 p.m. Inspector Joseph Barbieri arrived from a meeting
at the Seventh Precinct. He, instead
of POP officers, attended our meeting because the Problem-Oriented-Policing officers are
busy with school safety, and the POP staff had been cut.
The inspector was at the Seventh Precinct during Sandy,
when a 50’ yacht was on Merrick Road and the precinct house was out of
service. He spoke of the danger of
future storms. That is why they
purchased SUV’s, which ride higher than sedans.
He spoke about the burglars captured in Massapequa Park because of their
footprints in snow.
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He spoke of the ways in which thieves scam older people. Some thieves phone about false IRS bills, or
fees for missing jury duty, or a computer virus scam, or a request to call back
a certain number. He mentioned the
skimming device found on a Ticket Vending Machine at Baldwin station. The inspector said we should lock our windows
and doors.
He spoke about thieves looking for valuables in cars parked
near gymnasiums.
He said that along the park trails, Nassau County Public
Safety Officers were patrolling.
8:07 p.m. The Inspector resumed by asking that questions be held until
later.
He spoke of strangers and youngsters.
Regarding car break-ins, he said that almost all people caught
had an addiction to something stronger than alcohol. The notion of a drug user as a dirty junkie
is passé. One problem is that heroin has
become cheap, $6 to $8 a bag. He thanked
the County Executive and the Legislature for attempting to provide kits to
revive people who have overdosed.
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8:16 p.m. Legislator David Denenberg arrived from a session
that was featured in Newsday the next day.
Denenberg said the funerals from overdoses tend to be people
in their 20’s. High school students attend forums on drugs, but there seems to
be little done with the college-age person, where the deaths have spiked.
The Inspector said one problem is the family medicine chest as
the source of overdoses. Denenberg said
that problem houses should be reported to 911, so that police can begin some
form of observation.
A member of the audience asked Denenberg whether he felt he
was getting enough NY State support on blocking the supply chain. Are both the state and the feds active on the
borders? No, cutting off the drug supply
is the task of the federal government.
On other drug-stopping issues, Denenberg sees no leadership from the state.
He praised the Southeast Nassau Guidance Center, but both the
state and the county have cut their budgetary support. Denenberg pointed out that the red-light
camera review was supposed to have funded similar programs, but the funds are
being sent to the general fund.
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A member of the audience complained about the lack of
enforcement of one-hour parking on Locust Avenue near the car dealers. Denenberg replied: Phone 911, not the
precinct. We pay a telephone charge for
the Enhanced 911. Not only does the 911
center, rather than the precinct, dispatch sector cars, but it keeps a record
of the actions taken.
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A member of the audience complained about drugs and romps at
the dead ends of Mermaid Avenue and Wantagh Avenue, north of St. Regis Street.
The inspector promised increased visits by patrol cars.
A member of the audience complained about a construction
business making excessive noise. The
inspector said that the police department does not have decibel-reading
machines.
A member of the audience inquired whether overdoses were
followed by inquiries about the source of the drugs. A user could be offered a plea bargain in
return for information, but an arrest could also block the process of getting
more information. The inspector made a
reference to arresting those who sell alcohol to minors. He also said that opiate medicines should be
treated like firearms in the house, under lock.
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How large is the police force?
I think I heard Denenberg say it was 2,200 officers, historically quite
low. This drives up the cost of
overtime.
A resident complained about the unloading of new cars from
automobile delivery trucks when it is done on Seaford Avenue south of Sunrise
Highway.
When I praised the diminishing number of obscured license
plates, Denenberg and the inspector lauded the use of license-plate scanners
atop two of the county’s police cars.
The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.
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Please note that the April 2, 2014, issue of the Massapequa
Post has an article describing Inspector Barbieri’s presentation to the mayor
and Board of the Village of Massapequa Park.
They complain that larceny arrests at Sunrise Mall draw sector patrols
away from the village.
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For a report on a 2010 meeting, please click here.
