Auxiliary police gets new leader Appreciation expressed to departing commander Gregg P. Spaulding

      Spaulding received praise for all his hard work from the village Board of Trustees and Commissioner of Police Jack McKeon during a meeting at Village Hall on Sept. 22.
      Spaulding joined the Auxiliary Police in February 1978 as a communications officer and worked his way up the ranks over the years, earning the designation acting commanding officer in 1984. He officially took the position in 1988. He was promoted to deputy inspector in 1991 and named a 3 star chief in 2001.
      The decorated officer has received numerous awards, including 17 Nassau County Police Department Meritorious Service Awards for Performance of Duty and several other honors by the NCPD. He has received 48 letters of appreciation from many levels of government.
      Active in the community, Spaulding is also a member of the Rockville Centre Fire Department, the Knights of Columbus and is a past chairman and founding member of the Nassau County Auxiliary Police Executive Board.
      He has been married to his wife, Linda, for 10 years, and they have four children, Maria, Gregg Jr., Robert and Joanna.
      The incoming commander, Chafetz, has also been a member of the Auxiliary Police for more than 20 years. He joined the department in 1982 as a communications officer and earned the rank of deputy chief in 2001.
      For many years, Chafetz has been the officer in charge of the Auxiliary Police response at special events in the village.      
      He has also been awarded many honors, including Nassau County Meritorious Awards in 1989 and 1995. He was honored by the Nassau County Boy Scouts of America in 1988 and 1995.
      Chafetz and his wife, Alice, have lived in Rockville Centre for 34 years and raised two children, Ivy and Marc. They also have one granddaughter, Alexis. Alice is a teacher at Hewitt School.