As most readers know, we have seen a spate of increased crime within the village. Many people want to point fingers. They wish to blame teenagers, parents, drinking, etc. The fact is the real problem is too few police for too many crimes.
And that is no one's fault unless it goes ignored for much longer. We cannot survive with four or five patrol cars on duty at any one time. If one gets tied up with an accident report, another two with a domestic disturbance and another with a DWI arrest, who's left?
Therefore, I publicly call upon Mayor Fran Murrray and Commissioner Chuck Gennario to set up an exploratory committee to carefully examine the prospect of detaching Rockville Centre from any association with the Nassau County Police Department. I am not sure of the exact numbers but the cost of that relationship exceeds 12 million dollars a year.
Instead, we must align ourselves with the New York State Police. The price tag is less than half that of the Nassau arrangement. We would use State resources for major arrests, crime investigation etc. We could create a consortium of other south shore village police departments to share forensic investigations using one certified lab. The end result is a savings of many millions of dollars which can go toward hiring at least ten more officers to patrol the Village.
In the end, as much as we would like to rely on good parenting and good citizenship, it is good policing that we need. We have great policing now. Just not enough of it.
Mr. Mayor, Commissioner Gennario, please get on this. Make it happen. Do it soon. Our village's future depends on it.
