By Nicole Falco
The public safety officers' defenses include distinctive uniforms, two-way radios, handcuffs, the ability to issue village summonses and formal training by the village. But their best defense is their willingness to really help and get to know the community they serve, according to Tom DeSimone, public safety director.
Reflecting on the department's first year of service, DeSimone said "Everything we do, we do to preserve the quality of life in this community. We act very much in sync with what village government is trying to accomplish."
Last year, Mayor Edward Cahill and the Village Board of Trustees voted to initiate a seasonal "park unit" in A.J. Hendrickson Park in response to various concerns including large groups of youths congregating in the park. In the mid-'90s a "park enhancement unit" was formed to perform a similar duty, but had to be eliminated due to budget cuts.
This year, the mayor and board decided to add a patrol unit, which would maintain safety at all village parks and facilities. While the park unit is seasonal, the patrol unit will be year-round.
The Public Safety Department's operating costs are slightly less than $250,000 per year. For their money, villages residents are getting 19 part-time Public Safety Department employees, 16 of whom are former or active members of law enforcement. The park unit operates seven days a week from 2 p.m. to midnight and the patrol unit operates seven days a week from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. There are always at least five public safety officers on duty including one supervisor.
"As a result of the work we are doing and the results we are getting, I think you'll see more and more villages doing this," DeSimone, a police captain with a federal agency, said Friday.
While the majority of officers are former or active law enforcement, they are not meant to replace Nassau police in any way. Police and public safety share intelligence to get the job done.
"We have an excellent rapport with the Nassau Police Department. We are meant to complement what they do," DeSimone said. "There is a big road to tow between youthful exuberance and criminal activity. Nassau County handles the criminal activity and our niche is the road between."
So far, DeSimone, the officers and the mayor say they hear nothing but compliments from park patrons, particularly the elderly.
"The seniors love us. They really like to see us here," said Larry Hayden, a public safety officer.
DeSimone said, "I think attendance [in Hendrickson Park], particularly that of the elderly, has improved since we got here."
Of the almost 1,400 incidents handled by the department since last June, 317 of them have occurred between June 1 through July 18 of this year. In addition to the typical, the public safety officers have helped a resident locate her elderly mother, an Alzheimer's sufferer; helped maintain safety during the annual Fourth of July celebration; and by petitioning the village to remove a pay phone near the pool, the department disbanded a group of teens that hung out in the handball courts and may have been involved in drug dealing.
"Being an ex-officer myself, you can't measure what the presence of uniformed police does; you can't measure what it prevents. The purpose of a uniformed officer is as a deterrent and you can't measure that. Overall their job has been a success," Cahill said.
The officers credit any successes they have had to the relationships they have developed with the community.
"What you really need is an open relationship with the community. You have to know verbal judo and you can't take sides. It is good to be good friends with the community," said Hector Santiago, a department supervisor.
Mike McGhaney, a public safety officer, said getting close to the youth has also been helpful.
"Everyone of my guys honestly does care. I've seen them pick up bottles from the floor," DeSimone said.
One park patron out for an afternoon power-walk didn't stop long enough to offer a complete comment, but said he noticed the public safety cars parked near the Hendrickson Park Administration Building.
Another, Gregory Stephens said, "They are always in sight. Every time I come to the park I see them. I'm sure they are doing a very good job."
From left, Larry Hayden, Tom DeSimone, director, and Mike McGhaney. In the patrol car are Andrew Dolan and Hector Santiago, a supervisor. Sixteen of the 19 public safety employees are former or active members of law enforcement. Nicole Falco/Herald
