Rockville Centre Police Department could have four fewer officers by year’s end

The Rockville Centre Police Department will have fewer officers for the rest of the year.

Right now, the department has 53 officers, nine short of what Police Commissioner Charles Gennario said he considers an ideal number. One recently left after receiving a disability pension in July. Gennario said that another officer is on the verge of receiving his pension, and he expects two or three more officers to retire before the end of the year.

The department is also adding two new officers. “We did give two conditional offers of employment out of 17 letters we sent out,” Gennario said at a village briefing session last month. “We were only able to get two. We were looking for five … So we are going to be hurt for personnel for the next year or so.”

One new hire has served in the New York City Police Department for the past five years. He is expected to start in about six weeks, after he completes a physical, a background check and training with the village department, which includes 48 hours of instruction in firearms and 80 hours of patrol with a current officer. Gennario said that police officers who were recently hired from the NYPD had no problem adjusting to the suburban area.

The other new officer is still waiting to train with the police academy. The process takes about six months, with a trainee spending the majority of that time at an accredited New York state police academy. A future Rockville Centre officer spends the final six weeks of training with the department prior to graduation. The next session of the academy starts in October, which means this officer will not be ready to join the force until April.

“The safety and the security of our residents is a top priority of this administration,” said Mayor Francis X. Murray. “Rockville Centre will remain one of the safest and desirable communities in New York state with our vigilant and highly trained Police Department. Their dedication is one of the reasons Rockville Centre is the one of the most desirable places to live, work and raise a family.”

For the time being, however, the department will be short-staffed. “We make sure that our tours are up to minimum strength,” Gennario explained. “Police officers have to work overtime, which becomes problematic at times because we have less officers to work the overtime … It’s more work, less time off, but the residents would never notice. There’s no diminished service. Residents still get the same amount of service from our police officers.”

Gennario added, “In New York state and Nassau County, police officers get a tremendous amount of training. So they’re trained to a level that others don’t experience.” Rockville Centre officers continue training throughout their service with the village, which, Gennario said, results in fewer problems in the department.

“We recently received a list from Civil Service,” Gennario said of the hiring process, referring to the list of candidates who have passed state exams and are eligible for entry-level officers’ positions. “We’re in the process of sending out letters and setting up interviews.”