Chronicling the Nassau County Police Department

The Nassau County Police Department is featured in the latest edition of Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America book series, which seeks to capture the history of a community, institution or organization. The book was released on May 13.

Author Jerry Aylward, a retired NCPD detective with 32 years of service, pinpointed every important department highlight in his book, “Nassau County Police Department,” attempting to convey the strength and courage of the NCPD and its members. “I felt as if I was looking through my work family’s genealogical beginning, but still had the ability to see it through so many different angles,” he said.

The book starts with the department’s 1925 inception, unveils the challenges of dealing with the mob during the Roaring Twenties and then moves forward as it delves into the department’s progress. NCPD began with 55 deputy sheriffs and now has 2,500 members. The department patrols a county, which borders Queens, with more than 1.4 million residents.

The 128-page book is illustrated with archival photographs and divided into six chapters: The Inception: 1925 to 1935, Depression and War: 1936 to 1945, The Expansion: 1946 to 1960, Professional Policing: 1961 to 1980, Contemporary NCPD: 1981 to 2000 and NCPD Today: 2001 to 2019.

Aylward said he conducted extensive research for the project, starting his writing process by researching the county’s start in 1899, and then chronicling its early years. He spotlighted unique occurrences and the department’s maturation by focusing on the issues of each time period, especially those involving crime.

In the book’s foreword, Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder wrote: “Our mission is to serve the people of Nassau County and to provide a safe and improved quality of life in our communities through excellence in policing.” Ryder, a member of NCPD for more than 32 years, noted that, the department “was born out of concerns of rising crime,” and now maintains one of the lowest crime rates in the nation.

After more than three decades of service, writing a book like this meant a lot to Aylward. He said it felt easy to relate to the officers who started and made the department into what it is today, and that writing the book made him feel more connected to the past.

“We’re thrilled to be able to add ‘Nassau County Police Department’ to our Images of America series, especially since it’s written by an expert like Jerry,” said Erin Vosgien, the acquisitions editor for Arcadia Publishing, which has roughly 15,000 books in its catalog.