Lawrence seeks greater police presence

In the wake of some high profile burglaries that occurred in a few residential Lawrence neighborhoods late last year, one village trustee is making a case to police officials that more enforcement is needed in the community.

Lawrence village trustee Martin Oliner has asked inspector John R. Capece, commanding officer of the Nassau County Police Department’s 4th Precinct, for extra patrols in the community after many residents approached him saying they did not feel safe following some home invasions that took place in November. Oliner made his request at the Jan. 14 Lawrence Board of Trustees meeting after Inspector Capece presented crime statistics for 2009 in the village that showed only 11 burglaries but four of those occurred late in the year.

“We do have residents who are going out and hiring private guards,” said Oliner to Capece during the Jan. 14 meeting of people’s uneasiness in the village of Lawrence and why more resources are needed for the community.  “For this community one burglary is not acceptable.”

Oliner has requested that a meeting be arranged with Capece, Nassau County police commissioner Lawrence Mulvey and new county executive Edward Mangano to see if extra patrols in Lawrence could be achieved. In response to this request Capece said he would support having more officers in Lawrence but pointed out that with only 11 burglaries taking place in the village, it might be a tough sell to the county.

“With 11 burglaries in 2009 I’m hard pressed to say 'I have a problem give me help,’” said a frank Capece during the Jan. 14 meeting. “I’m not trying to be an obstructionist, I’m just trying to be a realist.”

Capece said that late in 2009 when there were a few high profile burglaries that occurred in Lawrence and other areas of the Five Towns, the 4th Precinct responded by utilizing more directed patrols to the community to help alleviate the problem. He emphasized though that with Lawrence only making up a tiny part of the 4th Precinct there is only so much that can be done in terms of adding additional resources to the village on a regular basis. The 4th Precinct includes the  Five Towns, Atlantic Beach, Lido Beach, Point Lookout, Oceanside, Island Park, East Rockaway and South Lynbrook.

“You are 1/15th of my command, maybe even less than that,” said Capece of how little of the precinct encompasses the village of Lawrence. “The world doesn’t revolve around Lawrence, I have a lot of things I have to deal with.”

There does not appear to be a pattern with the four burglaries that took place in Lawrence late in the year, according to Capece. He said five arrests were made from the 11 burglaries that occurred in Lawrence in 2009.

Nearly five years ago when Lawrence and other Five Towns communities fell victim to a pattern of home invasions, Trustee Oliner arranged a meeting at his house with more than 80 county, village and police officials, including then Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, where stepped up patrols and the creation of a task force to combat the crime wave were discussed. Oliner said he would like to try and arrange a similar meeting early this year and is hoping similar results can be achieved to deter criminals from entering Lawrence.

“If someone wants to give me more [resources],” I’ll take it,” said Capece. “I don’t want you to think I’m not supportive, I just know how the police department works and they are going to question me.”