By Nicole Falco
More than 50 police officers from the 5th Precinct, as well as hostage negotiators and officers from the Bureau of Special Operations, Emergency Services and Highway Patrol were called in to defuse that Jan. 11 situation on Doris Street in Franklin Square. No one was injured, and 61-year-old Harry Blasich was arrested and charged with weapons possession and five counts of attempted murder.
The new 5th Precinct commander, Inspector Wayne P. Atkins, 53, has 26 years invested in the Nassau County Police Department. While situations like the recent one on Doris Street are rare in the 5th Precinct, they do happen, and when they do it may comfort the community to know that an experienced commander is leading the team.
Atkins came to the 5th in August after having worked as a member of many of the same teams that responded to the Franklin Square incident. He's patrolled Nassau's streets as a beat cop and has worked in the department's Detective Division, Highway Patrol and Ambulance Bureau, and spent time as deputy inspector of the 3rd Precinct. Just before coming to the 5th Precinct, Atkins served as commanding officer of the Bureau of Special Operations, which includes the hostage-negotiation teams.
Atkins replaced William McHale, who spent eight years in the precinct, which encompasses Valley Stream, Elmont, West Hempstead and Franklin Square. "Obviously [McHale] was good at what he did and there was a lack of movement in the department," Atkins said.
But the lack of movement in the department ended when James Lawrence took over as Nassau's police commissioner last year. "[The commissioner] came into the department and he decided to do some reorganization and move some people into different spots, and I was one of them," Atkins said. "Being a cop is something I always wanted to do. If you don't love it, you shouldn't be here."
Since taking over the command, Atkins has spent time getting to know the precinct. It is densely populated, and each community has a host of civic associations that share concerns about their neighborhoods with the precinct on a regular basis.
"We have first-class communication between [the precinct] and the Valley Stream Civilian Patrol," said Scott Goebel, a member of the Civilian Patrol's board of directors. "There is no question about it. We work with them and they work with us."
The patrol, which acts as extra eyes and ears for the department, is one of dozens of community-based organizations within the 5th's coverage area.
"Most of the complaints we deal with are quality-of-life issues," Atkins said. "Luckily most people are not the victims of serious crimes. We are looking to reduce them all."
According to Atkins, robberies, burglaries, auto thefts and grand larcenies are down in the precinct, while assaults, which often involve people who know each other, are up slightly. Sex crimes are also up.
As commander, Atkins must address the community's concerns while employing a shrinking police force. There are currently 185 officers and supervisors in the precinct, a slight decrease that mirrors the department's overall decrease, according to Atkins.
"There is quite a daunting task for us to use our personnel more efficiently," he said.
NASS-STAT, used by the department since April, should help. NASS-STAT is a system of analyzing crimes in 28-day cycles, and it examines ways in which patrols can be redirected to combat problems.
"It's a work in progress," Atkins said. "It's still a new thing but it definitely has merit, and we will grow with it."
Atkins said the precinct also has an open line of communication with schools. Either he or another supervisor regularly meets with school officials.
An open dialogue helps when trying to address concerns associated with youth. According to Atkins, "There is no active recruiting of gang members," but "there are a couple of locations that are possible gang hangouts," which are known to the precinct. Combating the sale and use of drugs near the community's schools is another precinct priority.
Even on the golf course on his days off, Atkins said, it's hard to shut off being a "professional observer."
"When I'm not on the job, my mind is always working," he said. [Cops] see things differently than the average person."
