Crime’s down, business is up

Rockville Centre Mayor Francis Murray gave his address at the meeting on Tuesday, talking about his accomplishments in 2014.

Courtesy Bob Wolchok

Rockville Centre Mayor Francis Murray delivered his third State of the Village address on Tuesday, highlighting the village’s accomplishments during the past year.

In a 15-minute speech that echoed many of the points Murray made last year, he spoke of the businesses that came to the village over the past 13 months, his hope of improving parking and his continued commitment to securing grants for the village.

“I am so proud of the work that we have accomplished since I have taken office two and a half years ago,” he said. “Rockville Centre remains one of the most desirable communities to live and raise a family in. Our schools, recreation programs for our youth and seniors, safety, downtown area and overall quality of life is second to none.”

Murray began his address by recognizing the work of the police and fire departments. In 2013, he said, the RVCPD handled more than 17,000 calls, and there was a 25 percent decrease in major crime from 2012 to 2013. The number of burglaries was the lowest since the village began keeping statistics.

“Much of this is due to the beefing up of the anti-crime and investigation units,” Murray said, “along with aggressive policing by the patrol force.”

The mayor commended the Fire Department — the largest all-volunteer department in the state — for its response to more than 2,400 alarms.

Murray pointed out that the village’s downtown now has an occupancy rate of 98 percent, up from 84 percent when he took office. And in 2013, he added, 19 new businesses moved in, and many others expanded.

“Our downtown business district is key to our village’s future and sets the tone for our village,” he said. “It is the most visible indicator of community pride as well as the economic health of the village.”

The mayor also discussed the ever-present problem of parking. He touched on the village’s failed pilot program with Parkeon’s Smart Meters, and the parking garage designs that came out of the recent Build a Better Burb ParkingPlus Challenge, sponsored by the Long Island Index. But he stopped shy of offering any concrete plans for changes in village parking.