By Nick Buglione
The entrance to the jail is currently south of Salisbury Park Drive and a good distance from the school, but East Meadow School District administrators recently learned from members of the Nassau County Jail Advisory Committee that jail officials want to move the entrance for security reasons.
³As of right now, the parking lot is accessible to the public, no questions asked,² said Richard Cardozo, president of the Carman Community Association and a member of the advisory committee.
At the current entrance, anyone can drive onto the grounds and turn into the general parking lot, which is just yards away from the jail¹s main building. Jail officials want to move the entrance farther away and establish a guarded post, Cardozo said. ³This will require everybody to come through a security checkpoint,² he explained.
Though it might improve safety at the jail, moving the entrance south could potentially create problems at East Meadow High School, said Deputy Superintendent Leon Campo. ³There are issues that definitely need to be addressed before we support a proposal like this,² Campo said. ³There are a couple of issues of concern.²
With the jail, high school and Nassau University Medical Center located on Carman Avenue, the road is heavily trafficked. Campo worries that moving the entrance closer to the school would divert more traffic to the area.
Campo is also afraid that jail visitors might be tempted to park in the high school lot, or try to enter the building to use the bathroom or make a phone call. ³It¹s not a public building for that purpose,² the deputy superintendent said. ³We¹re going to have, potentially, visitors parking in the spaces we need for our employees.²
School district officials were surprised when they learned that the jail was thinking of moving its entrance, though Cardozo said the idea has been kicking around for some time. ³This has been cooking for a long time,² he said.
Parents have long expressed reservations about the jail¹s proximity to the high school, and were equally worried when they learned the entrance might be moved closer to school grounds. ³The parents of high schoolers are very, very concerned,² said Bill Alderman, whose son attends East Meadow High School and who believes that the school¹s security could be easily compromised. ³We don¹t have people stationed at every single door. You can come in and out at will.²
Nassau County Legislator Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow) fielded a number of calls from concerned parents on the matter, stressing to them that the jail is only contemplating the move and that no concrete plans are in place. ³There are no definite plans at the present time,² Gonsalves said. ³No plans have been proposed.²
The legislator assured parents she would be ³constantly monitoring² the situation. ³I don¹t want it to be blown out of proportion,² Gonsalves said. ³We haven¹t had the opportunity to meet.²
Once a plan has been proposed, parents and school officials will have the chance to review it and voice any concerns, Gonsalves said.
³I am concerned about any renovation to the ingress and egress to the jail being proposed,² said Richard Bivone, vice president of the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations and a member of the Jail Advisory Committee. ³We believe the committee needs to examine those plans being developed to ensure the best possible safety to the public at large before any changes are made. I realize upgrading is needed, and being proactive is important. We just need to ensure that all the concerns of the public and school district are answered. We are willing to listen and have an open mind.²
Comments about this story? NBuglione@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000
