Thursday, October 1, 2026
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly is turning seized criminal assets into crime-fighting patrols. During a May 22 news conference held in front of City Hall in Long Beach, Donnelly announced a total of $60,000 in grant money, pulled from her office’s criminal forfeiture fund, to be divided evenly between the Long Beach and Freeport police departments. The money will specifically aid their fight against DWI and DUI offenses.
Freeport and Long Beach were chosen to receive the grants after applying for the annual support, which was available to any police department in Nassau County. Both departments have received similar funding from the D.A.’s office multiple times in recent years, in an ongoing effort to curtail drunk and impaired driving.
The funds are earmarked to boost police enforcement during the 100-day period between Memorial Day and Labor Day — informally known as “the 100 deadliest days” due to increased drivers on the road and increased social drinking.
“This short three-month window accounted for more than half of the total DWI arrests made last year here in Long Beach,” said Donnelly. “In Freeport, it’s nearly the same story. 43 percent of their total DWI arrests in 2025 occurred during this same period over the summer.”
According to Donnelly, since the year began, five deaths and 15 injuries have already been attributed to impaired driving, with the summer season opening the door for more potential incidents.
“These are the times when we need the patrols the most,” said Long Beach Police Executive Officer Inspector Michael Corbett. “Being a summer getaway, our population swells and we see an increase in pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and, unfortunately, an increase in traffic crashes.”
Corbett explained that the funding will be applied to additional patrols featuring officers specifically trained in field sobriety testing, as well as breath analysis technicians. The city of Long Beach is home to its own breath analysis center and city court, making testing faster and processing more efficient.
“We’re so appreciative of District Attorney Donnelly,” said City Councilman Michael Reinhart. “She has shown a commitment over the years to really help us stem the tide of driving under the influence. Especially because of where we are, it’s a destination. People are looking to have fun, but they have to have fun responsibly. This kind of grant helps us attain that.”
