Committed to protecting their community

Along with full-time jobs and busy lives, their dedication to keeping their Five Towns neighbors safe motivates auxiliary police officers to make time for significant community service.

That commitment will be noted at the 28th annual Nassau County Auxiliary Police Longevity and Service Awards Ceremony on April 7, when 10 members will be recognized for their service in 2010.

Five Towns Commanding Officer Lt. Danny Gluck, a 12-year member, explained that auxiliary police volunteer their time and receive no compensation or benefits. He added that of the 40 auxiliary police units in Nassau County, the Five Towns unit is the largest and fastest-growing. “Each unit has its own town or village to cover,” Gluck said. “We’re the Five Towns, so we have more square miles to cover than other units.”

Auxiliary police go on day and evening patrols, direct traffic, handle crowd control and help with security at community events such as fairs and parades. During emergencies they also aid the Nassau County Police Department where they are needed.

Gluck described his auxiliary force as a diverse group. “Our unit is made up of local citizens who live in the community they serve,” he said. “We’re made up of all different backgrounds, and when I took over this unit two and a half years ago we had 14 officers, and today I have 22 officers.”

The Five Towns unit was founded in April 1996 and is based in the 4th Precinct, on Broadway in Hewlett. It covers Atlantic Beach, Lawrence, Inwood, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, Hewlett, Meadowmere, Atlantic Beach Estates, Woodsburgh, North Woodmere, North Lawrence, Hewlett Neck, East Atlantic Beach, Hewlett Bay Park and Hewlett Harbor.

Jon Isler, a four-year auxiliary member and a resident of Cedarhurst, will receive an award for 300 hours of service in 2010. He said he wanted a way to get involved in the community and do something different than his full-time job as a financial advisor and vice president of investments at a brokerage firm. “I’m honored to be a part of this wonderful organization and thrilled to save the taxpayers of Long Island money,” Isler said. “We work for free, at no cost to the taxpayer.”