OPINIONS

Letters to the Editor: East Rockaway, Lynbrook

March 17-23, 2016

Posted

In defense of the Lynbrook police force

To the Editor:

The Valley Stream Herald ran an article titled “Forum focuses on police and village codes” (Feb. 4-10). During that forum, Village Trustee Vincent Grasso, while focusing on the uptick in crime in Valley Stream, asked whether the Lynbrook Police Department had started “writing tickets to justify their existence.”

Mr. Grasso apparently doesn’t realize that the police in Lynbrook perform duties which he is either unaware of or seems to ignore. I am assuming Mr. Grasso feels the same about the fine Nassau County Police who patrol Valley Stream, with much fewer officers. Also, he seems to be uninformed as to what the police in Lynbrook actually accomplish in their daily routine: keeping the village of Lynbrook the 24th safest community in New York state, according to FBI statistics.

The police in Lynbrook respond to more than 1,500 ambulance calls (in conjunction with our fine emergency medical company), train our schoolchildren in the perils of drug use and conduct drills at our high school for terrorism protection.

Also, besides arresting many active criminals, including the recent arrest of a suspect after a Valley Stream store was robbed, their active presence, deploying at least six police officers on our roads 24 hours a day, seven days a week, helps maintain Lynbrook’s quality of life with traffic safety, deters crime and, along with our Building Department, reduces illegal housing. Last year alone, our police made 289 arrests, including house burglaries, gun possession, drug possession, car thefts and warrant violations. The Lynbrook Police Department’s existence is justified by all they do for our residents. They keep every citizen and visitor to our community safe and secure.

When I contacted the powers that be in Valley Stream, they insisted that Mr. Grasso’s statement was really a compliment to our police, which is, at best, ludicrous.

As mayor, I can say that our police force, its officers and its superior personnel, from our recent hires up to the chief of police, are the finest in the county.

I sincerely hope the trustee in Valley Stream responsible for this comment offers an apology to our police force.

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